


Full Circle

by Fictional_Affliction



Category: Total Drama, Total Drama (Cartoon)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, F/M, Family, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 06:16:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 26,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13025001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fictional_Affliction/pseuds/Fictional_Affliction
Summary: Courtney and Duncan meet again years later as single parents. COMPLETE!





	1. Prologue

Courtney's high heels hit the pavement as she got out of her car and she couldn't help but feel that her fresh start wasn't starting out the way she had planned. She was so wound up the night before she didn't get much sleep. Her boss at the law firm she now worked for had hit on her and probably didn't take her seriously enough because she was a woman, and now she was running late. The last thing she wanted to do was disappoint the girl that was waiting for her.

She hurried inside the building that was her destination, ready to apologize to the person in charge for arriving later than she had promised. Courtney had barely gotten out a syllable before she was cut off.

"Mommy!" The four year old threw herself against Courtney, pressing her face into the gray pencil skirt she wore. Courtney kneeled down opening her arms up to the little brunette.

"I'm sorry for being late sweetheart." She whispered as she wrapped her daughter in her arms. Addison, her four year old little girl, the only good thing to come out of her marriage to her ex-husband. It was her first day at a new preschool after Courtney had uprooted their lives and moved them to a town over an hour away from their previous home. The divorce had been drawn out and messy and as far as she was concerned if Addison never saw her father again, she would be better off. They both would be.

"It's okay mommy! I made a friend!" Her sweet smile reached all the way to her hazel eyes.

"You did? That's great honey." Truly, Courtney was glad that the little girl was adjusting so quickly. She was worried taking her away from everything she knew would have taken a toll on her, but like her mother, she was resilient.

"Her name's Vanessa! Can we have a play date?"Addison asked excitedly, her pigtails bouncing as she did so.

"It depends on if it's okay with Vanessa's Mommy-"

"Vanessa doesn't have a Mommy, but she has a Daddy! They waited with me till you got here!"

"Oh, that was very kind of them." Small hands clasped around Courtney's arm as Addison began dragging her through the playroom.

"C'mon Mommy!" Courtney smiled at her daughter's eagerness as they weaved in between crafts tables and cubbies. She noticed that ahead of them was a little girl that had to be around Addison's age standing next to who she assumed was her father and one of the preschool teachers. The preschool teacher conversed with him as his child seemed to be getting impatient as she tugged on his hand.

"Nessa! My Mommy says we can have a playdate!" The other child ran up to them as Courtney once again squatted down so that she was closer to their height.

"Addison I didn't say yes yet."

"But please Mommy!"

"Please Missus Addison's Mommy!" Begged who she assumed to be Vanessa. Her big blue eyes were a stark contrast to her raven hair. Courtney couldn't help but smile, something about those eyes hit a soft spot inside of her.

"You can call me Courtney, it's very nice to meet you." Vanessa held out her smaller hand to Courtney's larger one giving it a firm shake.

"Wow, you have a strong grip there for someone your age."

"Daddy says that you have to show people that you're tough or they'll think you're a pansy." Courtney's mouth dropped open.

"Vanessa stop being a potty mouth." Courtney heard the father call out.

"No fair! You're the biggest potty mouth ever, Daddy!"

"Mommy what's a pansy?" Addison asked innocently.

* * *

As the preschool teacher, who he couldn't remember her name for the life of him, went on and on he tried to act like he was interested in what she was saying. Sure, she was pretty enough but he was really trying to not get involved with any of Vanessa's teachers, again. The last time hadn't ended so well and he had to switch preschool's to avoid the chick. Now he had a strict rule of dropping off and picking up his kid with minimal to no conversation. Today had been an exception though as Vanessa had a new friend whom's mom wasn't there yet and she didn't want to leave her all alone. He couldn't say no when he had two little girls pouting at him and though he hated to admit it, he wasn't as tough as he used to be. Raising a daughter had softened him.

He continued to smile and nod at the teacher's attempt at flirting with him, after all, he was a charmer. He heard as Vanessa's new friend and her mom approached and was going to use it as an excuse to leave but the teacher had just put her hand on his tattooed bicep as she said something else that he didn't quite catch. He got pulled in again as she went into talking about something else and sighed to himself. He started to listen to the other conversation going on in the room as he appeared to be engaged in the one he was in.

"Daddy says that you have to show people that you're tough or they'll think you're a pansy." Immediately he turned towards his daughter.

"Vanessa stop being a potty mouth." He reprimanded. He really needed to watch his language more around her.

"No fair! You're the biggest potty mouth ever, Daddy!" He marched over as the other little girl with the caramel colored skin questioned her mother.

"Mommy what's a pansy?" Great, he was sure going to get an earful from this girl's parent about bad behavior rubbing off on their child.

"Addison Elizabeth don't say that word ever again!" He gave Vanessa a stern look as Addison's mom stood up from her crouch.

"You really need to watch what you say in front of children! They repeat every...thing..." He finished giving Vanessa the "you're in trouble" look just as the now standing woman trailed off. He took in her appearance. Tan skin, freckles, chestnut hair.

"Princess?" A long pause filled the air.

"Your Mommy is a princess? That's so cool!" Vanessa exclaimed eagerly.

"I didn't know you were a princess Mommy!"

 


	2. Chapter 1

Close to fifteen years. That's how long it had been since Courtney had last seen Duncan. It had been such a long stretch of time, that all those years of being on Total Drama felt like it happened to someone else and not her. Sure, for a few years after the show she was called Princess wherever she went, and that had made it all the more hard to truly get over Duncan, but as always, time went by, and it all became distant memory.

Courtney had only been doubtful for a split second that that was who was standing before her. He was a bit taller than he had been the last time she saw him and had built the muscle definition to match. The green Mohawk was gone and had been replaced by his natural black hair styled into a messy faux-hawk style. His ear piercings were still there but the ones on his face had been removed. Duncan had given up just the soul patch on his chin in favor for letting the rest of his facial hair grow in; but still kept it short. One thing that hadn't change were his eyes. They were still the same teal that drew her in. Courtney damned him for getting better looking.

"Oh my god! You guys are that Courtney and Duncan aren't you? The ones from that television show all those years ago? I didn't even give it a second thought when you said your name was Courtney. Wow, what a small world!" The over eager preschool teacher was oblivious to Courtney's obvious surprise, "Didn't you guys date on that show too? Oh wait, but then he got with that goth girl and-"

"Okay that's enough!" Courtney said exasperatedly; this whole situation had gone from zero to sixty quickly and she felt she was losing control.

"Oh my goodness I'm so sorry! I didn't-"

"Mommy, what's Ms. Grace talking about?" Addison grabbed Courtney's leg to get her attention.

"Yeah Daddy, you were on TV? Can we see?" Vanessa chimed in.

"No!" Courtney and Duncan both said at the same time. There was no way two four year olds would be allowed to see that show. It was far too inappropriate.

Courtney really didn't want to continue this conversation in front of the teacher who was relatively a stranger, let alone in front of her daughter. Coming up with an idea Courtney turned her attention to the preschoolers.

"You know what? I think I saw a park with a playground down the street, do you girls want to go?" An eruption of yeses came from the two little girls.

* * *

"Thanks for waiting with her." Courtney told Duncan as they sat on a park bench. The girls were playing in the grass a few feet away while their parents observed. It was a time like this where it came in handy that the kids grew up in Canada and were accustomed to the cold weather of January.

"Don't worry about it." A long stretch of silence followed. Where could they even start? Duncan glanced sideways at Courtney who looked straight ahead, not wanting to make the situation more awkward by looking directly at him. There were so many questions running through his mind yet he couldn't seem to ask any of them. Despite everything they had been through, the good, the bad, and the extremely bad, he'd be lying if he said he hadn't wondered about her over the years. They had ended on such bad terms that he couldn't use his usual sarcasm or charm to break the ice.

He turned his eyes down to her hands that were resting in her lap. Duncan answered one of his questions when he didn't see a wedding band on her left hand. Then again, not all women always wore their wedding ring. He had noticed a few other things about her as well; like how her freckles on her nose still stood out, and that her hair was longer than the above the shoulder cut he remembered. Duncan had always been a man to notice a woman's body and couldn't help but note that her hips were wider and her breasts were bigger. No doubt from child bearing. She still looked like Courtney, but wasn't a teenage girl anymore. She was a woman. A beautiful one.

As he still pondered what he should say besides 'Wow we screwed each other over so badly that we can't even hold a decent conversation.', he heard her start to giggle to herself. He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"What's so funny?" Then she started to laugh even harder.

"It's just, I mean come on. I moved far away to get away from my ex-husband, uprooted my whole life to start over and then I run into my ex-boyfriend who I haven't seen in over a decade because our kids go to the same pre-school of all things. What the hell?" Tears were forming in her dark eyes and Duncan couldn't tell if it was from laughing or if she was about to cry.

"You're divorced?"

"Yep. Little miss overachieving, type a, perfectionist Courtney, married and divorced by thirty years old." She was silent again, the weight of her words hitting her. Duncan had seen Courtney be many things, but he had never seen her the way she was right now.

Defeated. He struggled to say something to lessen the situation.

"So one day this chick shows up at my door with a baby in her arms, saying that it's mine. She didn't even tell me she was pregnant. Then she hands me this baby and says she's not ready to be a mom and I haven't seen her since." Courtney stared wide eyed. She continued to stare for a few moments before bursting into laughter again.

"That is so messed up." She said in between laughs. He couldn't help it when he started to laugh too.

"I know!"

"I mean, you of all people, raising a baby, by yourself? What was she thinking?"

"I banged her because she was hot, not because she was smart." Courtney wiped away a tear that had fallen and Duncan was relieved that it was from laughter.

"Wow, aren't we perfect examples of well adjusted adults."

"You're telling me." The laughter died down and although there was still tension between them it didn't feel quite as thick. Another length of time passed before they both spoke again.

"I'm sorry for being a crazy bitch."

"Sorry for being a huge asshole." They said at the same time.

"So much time has passed since Total Drama, it's almost like a dream."

"More like a nightmare."

"Definitely. That show made me act like a psycho."

"Oh yeah, blame it on the show." They continued laughing until their two young children were standing in front of them.

"Mommy are you guys done having 'grown up talk' now?" Addison said while climbing into her mother's lap.

"Daddy, are you and Princess Courtney friends now?" Vanessa appeared hopeful.

Courtney and Duncan looked at each other. Could they be friends? Could they leave the past behind them and be civil at least for their daughters's sake?

A corner of Courtney's mouth turned up.

"Yeah, I think we are." Duncan affirmed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went about this story a bit differently than I have with other stories I have written in the past. Besides the last two or so chapters, the story has already been written. It's just a matter of editing and uploading. I am also posting this story on FF.net(Fictional Affliction) and Tumblr(fictional-affliction).


	3. Chapter 2

"Come on sweetheart, we have to hurry." Courtney urged as she helped Addison put on her backpack.

"Why?" Addie struggled to get the big straps over her narrow shoulders.

"Mommy has to go back to work and the babysitter is meeting us at home."

"But I want you to stay with me!" The smaller female protested.

"I know honey, I'm sorry, but I have to." Then Addison began to do the thing that Courtney hated most. Her hazel eyes welled up with tears and her lips began to tremble and then came the onslaught of crying. Now she had the attention of other parents and children there for pick up. Great. The last thing Courtney needed was their judgement.

"What's wrong Addie? Why are you crying?" Vanessa came over with a look of concern in her eyes. If Vanessa was nearby then that must have meant Duncan wasn't far behind. Sure, they had absolved some of the awkwardness, but that didn't mean it wasn't weird. Courtney had managed to avoid bumping into him since their last encounter, over a week ago, and wasn't sure she was comfortable with seeing Duncan regularly yet.

"I want my mommy!" Her caramel cheeks were tainted with pink from sobbing.

"But you're mommy is right here?" Dark eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"She has to go back to work!" Courtney felt a someone kneel next to her and didn't need to look to be able to tell who it was.

"What's wrong Little Princess? Who do I have to beat up?"

"I have to back to work, she'll be okay." Courtney reassured Duncan so that he wouldn't involved.

"No I won't!" By now they had the eyes of several people in the room.

"Addison, I'm sorry, but we have to leave right now." Courtney picked up her protesting child, she loathed this part of being a single parent but she had little choice when it came to her job. Duncan hated to see the small girl cry. Any time Vanessa cried he would give her anything to make her stop, he just couldn't stand it. He was a push over when it came to Vanessa. So he hadn't quite thought it through when he suggested a solution to the problem at hand.

"Why don't you let her come home with us and then you can pick her up when you're done? We have an extra car seat." The second it came out of his mouth he was kicking himself.

"Can she? Please? Please, please, please, please, pleeeeeeeeeease!" Vanessa was jumping up and down with her hands clasped together, begging the two adults.

"Mommy can I?" Courtney was torn. Giving her only daughter to be watched under Duncan's supervision? It wasn't something that she ever thought she would have to consider. She hated asking for help; and to ask for help from the last person she wanted it from? Courtney wasn't sure her pride could take the hit.

"I don't know..."

"What's the worst that could happen? Vanessa's made it this far with me as a parent. She'll be fine."

"We'll be extra careful! We didn't even bring the motorcycle today! Did we?" She turned to question her father. Duncan could already see Courtney's eyes bulging out of her head at the thought.

"It only happened one time! And we live around the corner."

"And I wore my unicorn helmet!" Vanessa added.

"And she wore her unicorn helmet." Courtney still wasn't convinced. Duncan took a step forward so that he was looking directly into her eyes.

"She'll be safe with me, I promise." He kept his voice low so that the children wouldn't hear. Courtney considered him for a moment, maybe she should just take a chance.

"Okay..." She reluctantly handed off Addison to him and went into her purse to pull out her business card.

"Just text me your address." Duncan nodded as he took it and put the card in his back pocket.

"Thank you Courtney!" Vanessa said as she reached for her dad to pick her up with his other arm. Courtney kissed Addison on the cheek as went to leave.

"Duncan?" She called over her shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Don't make me regret this."

* * *

It was past eight by the time Courtney found herself in front of Duncan's house. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she almost didn't expect it to look as normal as it did. Maybe she thought there would be skulls in the front yard or that the house would be painted black, but it looked like every other house on the street.

She raised a tired hand and mustered the rest of her energy to knock on the door. A few moments later the door swung open and suddenly she was very much awake; because there was Duncan in all his shirtless glory. Courtney couldn't help it. She was too exhausted to look away. Duncan had always had a nice body, he had always been fit, but some changes drew her attention. Such as the full sleeve on his left arm and the tattoos on his ribs; or the smattering of chest hair. Her chocolate eyes traveled further down to the muscles of his abs and she couldn't help it when her eyes drifted even lower.

"Like what you see Princess?" He smirked. It was a major ego boost for him that she still found him attractive. Not that he needed an ego boost. She immediately diverted her eyes. She had been blatantly looking and he had caught her. Instead of scrambling to defend herself she chose to ignore the question all together.

"Where's my daughter?" Duncan rolled his eyes, well at least she wasn't denying it. He led her down a hallway as she took in her surroundings. Besides the darker color palette that included deep reds and grays nothing about the interior of the house screamed punk rock.

They stopped in front of a door and Duncan pressed a finger to his lips to signal her to keep quiet. When he slowly opened the door, Courtney first noticed the room's lilac walls with Christmas lights hung up on them, giving off a warm glow. It was sweet and girly compared to the rest of the house. In a corner of the room was a bed that had so many stuffed animals on it that there barely seemed space left for a person. Upon further inspection Courtney saw two little girls fast asleep.

"They've been out for over an hour." Courtney's right hand went to her chest, it was one of the most adorable things she had ever seen.

"They look so precious." She said softly.

"They're pretty cute, I guess." Courtney looked on disbelievingly at his attempt to brush it off.

"You don't have to act tough, you know."

"Just because I grew out of my delinquent phase doesn't mean I'm all sunshine and rainbows."

"You know, I never asked, how was prison?" It gave her some sort of smug satisfaction to bring that up.

"Real jail is no joke. After my Ma bailed me out, I swore that I was never going back there."

"At least you finally learned your lesson."

As carefully as she could Courtney leaned forward to lift Addison from the bed, managing not to wake the other slumbering child. The four year old stirred slightly when jostled and opened her eyes briefly.

"Hi Mommy." She mumbled sleepily.

"Hey Babygirl, go back to sleep.

"Kay." Courtney had to admit it. Despite anything she had thought in the past. Duncan had grown up. He had managed to take care of two young children and got them to bed in a timely fashion. Even she had to say that she was impressed. She had been very speculative of leaving her daughter with him, but he had cleaned up his act as far as she could tell. He was a good dad. She had always known that he wasn't as bad as he wanted others to think, but he had a record of terrible decision making that couldn't easily be forgotten.

"She looks a lot like you." Duncan said suddenly. Courtney cast her gaze towards who he was talking about. They did indeed look a lot alike. They had the same skin tone, freckles, and overall facial features. Although, Addison did have lighter hair and eyes than her mother.

"She has her father's eyes..." She meant to think that in her head and not say it out loud. She assumed Duncan would eventually ask her about Addison's father, but it wasn't something she was ready to talk about yet. Not with him.

"It's late." Courtney announced before he could give a response.

"Right, I'll let you out." Maybe it was the exhaustion or wishful thinking, but she swore he sounded slightly disappointed.

Once they were back at the entrance of the house Duncan opened the door for her. She started to leave and wanted to go without saying anything, but she couldn't help herself. Halfway through the door she turned around and stopped short. Their noses were almost touching and she could smell his leftover cologne. His teal eyes were staring into hers. She should have left like she had planned, because now they were staring for too long and the longer they stared, the more an invisible tension started to build.

Courtney willed herself to take a step backwards and to say what she initially was going to.

"I really appreciate what you did today. You've really grown up." He straightened at change of events, and smirked, ready to play it all off if she was going to.

"I had to sometime right?"

"Responsibility looks good on you."

"Everything looks good on me." Her eyes narrowed.

"I'm trying to give you a compliment Duncan, don't be a smartass."

"Calm down Courtney. It's not a big deal."

"Then just say thank you like a normal human being! Why do you have to make everything so difficult?"

"Because it's fun." She grunted and turned around to march back to her car.

"Hey Princess?"

"What?" She said aggravated beyond belief.

"You wanna carpool?"

"Excuse me?"

"You can bring the girls to preschool in the morning and I can pick them up. It's a win-win." Never in a million years did she think she would be discussing carpool schedules with Duncan. Then again, she did have to stay late at work often.

"Fine."

"See you in the morning Princess!" He mocked as she finally reached her car. What had she just gotten herself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I will be updating again until after Christmas, so Happy Holidays everyone! Please feel free to leave a review :)


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, some lewd language below, chapter rating will be going up soon.

Parents day. Duncan had been somewhat dreading this. He didn't mind an excuse to take off early from work though. Even if he liked his job, which was something he never thought he would. The idea of being a working adult had always rubbed him the wrong way. Duncan never wanted to conform to societies expectations. He had grown up putting together bikes and taking them apart and it was something that he was naturally good at. It turned out that fixing cars was something that was just an extension of that. Soon enough he was working as a car mechanic full time. It suited him.

What didn't suit him? Having to deal with a bunch of parents who thought their kid was best finger painter on the planet. So although he loved his own kid, Parents Day wasn't exactly his idea of a good time. Duncan wasn't the most conventional looking parent and people were so quick to judge. Courtney on the other hand, had been a parent her whole life. Even as a teenager she was always telling people what to do and what's best for them. There were only those rare occasions where he had seen her let loose and act her age. She always had to be responsible and do things by the book. They were opposites but somehow their arrangement with their children had been working out for the past few weeks.

Both parents were sitting at a small table while the girls were showing them some of the arts and crafts projects that they had made. He wouldn't let Courtney know it, but Duncan was glad that Vanessa had a woman in her life. He had dated a few girls over the years, but none of them were deemed good enough to be around his daughter. It was hard for her to grow up without a mother, but he wasn't going to let just anyone into her life. Courtney on the other hand just kinda popped up without warning and became a big part of his life again. As he looked on at the drawings and collages covered with glitter, he heard a conversation stand out to him from the background noise.

"Did you see her ass?" Duncan didn't look in the direction of where the voices were coming from. As soon as he heard the male's hushed words he became intrigued and began eavesdropping.

"I was too busy looking at her rack." Another man responded.

"Damn. I wonder if she's seeing anyone?"

"You're married!"

"So are you!"

"Doesn't mean I can't look! My wife says she's a lawyer." Uh oh. Duncan's first thought was that they were talking about Courtney, then again, she couldn't be the only lawyer in the room.

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah, I bet she's feisty."

"I bet she's crazy in bed. The conservative ones always are." Duncan's jaw immediately tightened as he felt the rest of his body tense as well.

"Apparently she just got divorced, maybe she's looking for a rebound."

The pair of men chuckled at their remarks. Now Duncan was positive they were talking about Courtney, which pissed him off. Weren't they supposed to be there for their kids, not to check out women?

"She's one mother I'd like to fu-" One of the men was about to seal his fate, because Duncan was a second away from punching this guy in the face; but the creep had paused when he saw his wife walking towards them with their son in tow. Good. That should make him shut his mouth.

"Are you okay Daddy? You look angry, do you need to count to ten?" Vanessa asked with concern from her spot on Courtney's lap. Courtney giggled at Vanessa's innocent question.

"Yeah Duncan, do you need to count to ten?" She mocked him in a too sweet voice. He glared back at her, not wanting to give a response but instead put his arm around the back of her chair. She looked at the appendage then back at him.

"What?" He challenged her to say something.

"Nothing."

"Mommy, look how good I colored in the lines." Addison gestured to a picture she had drawn.

"It's 'how well' honey, and you did an great job." Duncan sat there still silently fuming while Courtney pretended she didn't know what was pissing him off.

* * *

The sun was starting to set by the time Parents Day was over and everyone was walking back to their respective cars. It had been chance that Courtney and Duncan were parked next to each other but it worked to Courtney's advantage since there was something that she wanted to bring up to him.

"Do you wanna order pizza or something?" Duncan suggested as he buckled Vanessa into her car seat and closed the car door.

"Sure," She replied closing her own backseat door. "if you tell me why you put your arm around me earlier."

"I didn't put my arm around you, I put it on your chair."

"It's the same thing."

"No it's not."

"Are you sure it didn't have anything to do with why you were in a bad mood?"

"I wasn't in a bad mood! If anything you're putting me in a bad mood right now."

"You wouldn't have to be so defensive if you weren't lying, Duncan."

"I'm being defensive because you're annoying me, Courtney." They were in a stare down and with both of their stubborn attitudes, they could be there for a while.

"You're so infuriating!" Courtney was the first to give in.

"Right back at ya!"

"Just for that, you're buying the pizza." She turned on her heel and stalked over to the drivers side of her car.

"Fine, but we're going to your house!" Duncan yelled after her.

"Fine!" She slammed the car door with another slam being heard soon after, leaving Vanessa and Addison to look at each other through the car windows with confused expressions.

He drove her crazy. Her made her blood boil. No one else in this world made Courtney angry as fast and easily as Duncan could. She held the steering wheel in a death grip on the drive home. She swerved in and out of traffic more erratically than she ever had. For some reason that exchange they had in the parking lot really got to her. It was stupid and childish but every time she could see his truck in her rearview mirror she would change lanes. Then he would change lanes, as if just to anger her further. Courtney swore if she got a ticket for the way she was driving, she was going to make Duncan pay it.

She made a sharp turn down her street and tried to take calming breaths, reminding herself that she had her young daughter in the car and that whatever spat she and Duncan were having was not worth it. Then she saw him again in her rearview mirror wearing some shit eating grin. He had the nerve to wink at her. Courtney scoffed, she was done playing his little game. She wasn't going to stoop to his level anymore. She almost passed her house but the gray siding with the white shutters caught her eye in time. What she failed to notice was the red convertible in her driveway and had to jam on the breaks so that she didn't rear end the shiny bumper of the car. When her heart stopped racing from the almost collision, it started racing for a different reason entirely.

"Stay in the car okay?" Courtney turned towards the backseat as she undid her seatbelt.

"Why?" Addison had already begun to fuss with the restraints of the carseat.

"Just wait, please." Courtney stepped out of the car and stormed up to the red convertible, which alerted the driver to get out of his car.

"What are you doing here? More importantly, how did you find me?" The driver of the car was a tall man in his mid thirties with blond hair and hazel eyes. He wore an expensive looking black suit that matched his overall upscale air.

"No hello, Courtney? Even for your husband?"


	5. Chapter 4

Duncan seethed as he followed Courtney to her house, even though he already knew how to get there. He wasn't surprised that Courtney asked him why he had put his arm around her, she could be extremely nosy, but he really didn't want to answer her. He couldn't decide if it was because he would have to tell her about the perverted dads leering at her body, or that what they had said made him furious, or that his instinct in that moment was to protect her from them. Either way, deflecting had worked, and arguing with her reminded him of how hot she was when she was angry. It also reminded him how fun it was to push her buttons, so when she kept trying to speed away and change lanes he didn't turn down the opportunity to mess with her.

She kept looking back at him in her rearview mirror, and each time he could see the annoyance painted on her features. It fueled him to keep up his antics. He couldn't help it, pestering Courtney was so much fun.

He saw her slow down once turning onto her street and look at him again through her mirror. Then she stopped short in her driveway.

"Daddy whose car is that?" Duncan scrunched his eyebrows together when he saw the red convertible.

"I'm not sure..." He became even more confused when he saw Courtney stomp up to the car and start yelling at the man that got out of it.

"Who's that man? Why is Courtney yelling at him? Did he do a bad thing?" Although Vanessa's questions were valid, they were making it hard to hear what was going on.

"Shhhhh." Duncan could just hear their conversation and it didn't sound good.

"What are you doing here? More importantly, how did you find me?"

"No hello, Courtney? Even for your husband?"

"Ex-husband. You didn't answer my question, how did you find me, Greg?"

"It's not like you have a restraining order, I'm allowed to know where you are."

"Since when do you even care? Last time I checked you were too busy screwing secretaries to give a damn."

"Get off your high horse Courtney. Besides I'm not here to see you, I'm here to see my daughter."

"No. You lost all of your rights, I have full custody."

"She's my daughter too."

"You've barely seen her in the past year. You're almost a stranger to her."

"No thanks to you. Is she in your car?" The man went to step around her but Courtney stepped in front of him.

"Don't do this. You never wanted her, you just want to get to me."

"Not everything is about you, now move." When she didn't move, she grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him so that they were nose to nose.

Duncan had enough of just sitting by once he saw Courtney's ex gripping her wrist. He got out of his car ready to pummel this guy to the floor.

"You have to be some sort of grade A asshole to put your hands on a woman." Duncan approached them by pushing Greg in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards

"Who's this guy?" Greg brushed off his suit even thought his suit was still immaculate.

"Doesn't matter who I am, she asked you to leave so leave; or I'll make you leave."

"Duncan, I've got it handled." Courtney put her hand on Duncan's shoulder. Even if he deserved it, Courtney felt it best to prevent him from beating Greg to a pulp. Like her, Greg was a lawyer and Duncan would have found himself in jail quite quickly.

"So, is this the guy you're fucking? I see your standards have gone to shit." Duncan got close to his face. There was no way he was going to let this high class jerk show up and act like he was better than everyone, nor was he going to let him insult them both.

"As far as I'm concerned, you're trespassing on private property. Trust me, I know a thing or two about breaking a law. So if I were you I would get lost." Greg considered his threat for a moment, looking him up and down. Finally, he stepped backwards and shot a glare a Courtney.

"This isn't worth it. Enjoy your pathetic life." He turned back to his car without another word. He was blocked in because of Courtney's SUV, so he drove over the front lawn instead.

"Wow." Courtney didn't respond to Duncan's statement, instead she went to get Addison who had a front row seat to the altercation. Without saying another word she walked straight past Duncan into the house.

* * *

Courtney's footsteps echoed through the halls as she came downstairs. She had insisted on putting the girls to bed even though Duncan had offered. She had barely spoken all night and had consumed more wine for dinner than food. When she walked into the kitchen she passed him to go into the living room without saying a word. She started picking up toys that had been left out and straightening up the place, completely ignoring Duncan all together.

"So-."

"Vanessa can sleepover if you want." She interrupted. Either she had been going to say that at the same time he started to speak, or she was avoiding the obvious topic.

"Sure." She nodded without looking up. Duncan wasn't really one to talk about feelings but this whole silent treatment thing was putting him on edge. She was obviously trying to act like nothing happened and putting up a front. He sighed, trying to see if that got her talking, but got nothing. He sighed again even louder this time making it blatantly obvious.

"What Duncan?" She snapped at him.

"I don't know! Do you want to talk about it or something?"

"What is there to talk about?" She still looked down as she fixed the couch cushions so that they looked just right. If there was one thing that drove him up a wall, it was her ignoring him. He crossed the kitchen to the living room and took the throw pillow out of her hand and tossed it on the couch.

"Will you just look at me!" Then she finally did and he could see why she wouldn't. Her eyes were filled to the brim with tears that fell over when she blinked.

"Happy now?" No, now he felt worse than before.

"He's an asshole. Don't let it get to you." Courtney wiped away her tears before exposing the details of her past.

"Greg was the kind of guy I always thought I would end up with. We met at University, he was from a wealthy family, we had the same goals and ambitions. We were engaged by undergraduate graduation and married a year later. It was perfect and exactly what I had planned for my future. Until the first time I caught him cheating. I was pregnant." Duncan's eyes widened. That was low.

"He said it would never happen again and I believed him. Stupid, I know. Things were nice again for a little while after Addison was born. Then I had the sneaking suspicion that he was cheating on me again, and guess what? I was right, but this time, I just pretended I didn't know. We looked so perfect from the outside that I convinced myself that it wasn't a big deal. Guys cheat." She sniffled and Duncan felt a sinking feeling in his chest. It had never come up in the time they had been reacquainted, but it didn't change that the circumstances around their break up were messy. She could sense Duncan's discomfort and knew what he was thinking.

"Don't compare yourself to him. We were teenagers back then. Plus, I led you to it."

"What?" She wiped another tear away and seemed to have stopped crying.

"You weren't part of the plan, Duncan. Falling for you was the worst thing that could've happened to me. I had my whole life set out and then you came along. I know how I am, I'm uptight, a control freak and hard to deal with, and you somehow managed to break me down anyway. I was always afraid of how I felt about you. Sometimes I think the reason why I fought with you and made such ridiculous demands was because I wanted to push you away. So when you finally left, I already convinced myself you were going to anyway. We were too different to work out, so I made sure we didn't."

Duncan was shocked. It had never occurred to him that she didn't completely blame him for what happened with Gwen. He was always getting into trouble and being rebellious back then but the way their breakup went down was one of the only things that truly ever made him feel like a bad guy.

"No one deserves to be cheated on. Besides, I was so in love with you I didn't care how nuts you were. I actually kind of digged it." This time it was her turn to be shocked. He had never said it. She knew he had cared about her, and had feelings no matter how much he tried to act like he didn't, but she was never sure how deep his feeling ran. Courtney felt nervous under his gaze and wrung her wrist in response. She winced, having forgotten about how it was grabbed earlier.

"Let me see." Duncan was already gently lifting up her arm, not giving her time to stop him. A purple bruise was staring to form on her skin where the hand had been wrapped around it.

"Does it hurt?" The look of concern in his eyes made her even more nervous than before, but it also made her feel something else in her chest.

"A little bit."

"Do you want some ice." What she really wanted was for him to stop touching her.

"No, I'm fine." Her voice was soft, he leaned in further to get a closer look. He could feel the tension between them and he tried to crack a joke.

"Do you want me to kiss it all better?" Except, it came out much more husky sounding than he had intended. Courtney's heart raced and her wrist felt like it was in fire where he touched it.

"Yes." The word fell out of her mouth without her permission. Duncan's eyes were locked with hers and he didn't look away when he brought her wrist to his mouth and laid a gentle kiss there.

"Does it hurt anywhere else?" Their breaths mingled together from their closeness. Her nod was so small it was almost missed.

"Where?" Duncan rested his forehead against hers.

"Everywhere."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for leaving it there lol I love all of you :* This chapter has been my favorite so far and I hope you all enjoy it and don't hate the cliffhanger so much that you stop reading lol Rating will go up for the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 5

_“Does it hurt anywhere else?” Their breaths mingled together from their closeness. Her nod was so small it was almost missed._

 

_“Where?” Duncan rested his forehead against hers._

 

_“Everywhere.”_

* * *

 

Duncan’s mouth was on hers so fast Courtney didn’t have time to overthink it. She didn’t want to overthink it. It felt so good, too good. Duncan’s hands were all over her and she loved it. There had always been such an intense lustful attraction between them, touching each other felt like electricity through their veins. 

 

She moaned when his tongue touched hers and gripped his hair to a point that hurt. She loved the way his strong arms fit around her and he loved the way she felt in them. He pulled her blouse loose from her skirt, anxious to get her clothing off as quickly as possible. Courtney broke their kiss to lift his shirt up which he pulled over his head. Instantly her hands were on his abdomen feeling the hard planes of muscle and his lips were on hers again. He started working the buttons on her collared shirt, but was rushing so much that his fingers kept fumbling over them.

 

“Screw it.” Duncan ripped her shirt open, the buttons flying carelessly to the floor. She let out a breathy giggle as she shook her arms out of the sleeves to reveal her brassier. Seeing the parts of Courtney that she normally kept covered up had Duncan taking all notions of going slow and throwing them out the window. Without warning her picked her up so that she was straddling his hips and carried her to the couch.

 

When she landed on her back he laid between her legs, his mouth going straight to her neck.  Each motion of his mouth against her skin shot straight down to her center. Courtney wrapped her legs around his waist and ground herself against him to feel how hard he was for her and to ease the tension that was building. Duncan groaned and wrapped his hands around her ass to pull her even closer.

 

Courtney had always been so pure and virginal to him. They had never made it past second base when they were younger and he loved to joke with her that she was a prude. He never imagined that now she would be grinding against his length and moaning without a care. Courtney had never felt so turned on in her life, she wanted him and she wanted him now. 

 

Her hands flew to his belt and he sat up a little to give her better access. With little effort she had his jeans unbuttoned and his fly down. She framed his face with her hands going into kiss him again. Duncan went for the clasp on her bra, he wanted to feel his chest against hers without any barriers, but then she bit down his lower lip.

 

“Fuck.” 

 

His hands changed directions. They both went up her skirt and pulled down her underwear throwing them somewhere over his shoulder. She pulled his pants down along with his boxers finally freeing his erection. He bunched her skirt up as she wrapped her legs around him once more. Their lips crashed together, and their hearts raced with the anticipation of what was to come. 

 

There was no moment of hesitation, or questions of if it was okay. They both knew what they wanted. In one swift thrust he was inside of her. Their lips broke apart to moan at the friction. Duncan didn’t waste any time and continued to bury himself inside of her over and over again. She was so damn tight and wet for him. It was better than he had ever thought it could be. 

 

Courtney grasped at his back and didn’t care that her nails were going to  leave marks. She had never been so close this fast in her life. She met her hips to his almost violently and reveled in the throaty groans he made. 

 

“Don’t stop.” She managed to get out. Duncan could feel that she was close and knew he wasn’t going to last much longer either. There was just something about being with her that made him lose any control over himself. 

 

Her breaths quickened as she buried her face in his neck. She muffled her scream against him as she came.  He let go, grunting as he released inside of her and held her tightly. 

 

She was quivering slightly as their panting began to slow down. He stroked her hair and kissed her slowly as he pulled out of her. When his lips lefts hers they stared at each other. Then reality set back in. 

 

“Shit.” 

 

“Huh?” Duncan’s head was still a bit fuzzy when she pushed him off so that she could get up and pull her skirt down. 

 

“This...this can never happen again. Ever.” Courtney paced back and forth before finding her discarded shirt on the floor, once she saw that it was destroyed she threw it in a nearby trash can. 

 

“Where’s my underwear?” Duncan finally came back to his senses and pulled up his pants. 

 

“Duncan?” Courtney kept searching around the living room but couldn’t locate the piece of clothing.

 

“What?”

 

“My underwear.”  Duncan lazily looked around before spotting them on the end table. He merely pointed to them and Courtney ran her fingers  through her hair desperately. 

 

“Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.” Courtney continue to reprimand herself as Duncan finally caught on to what she had been going on about. 

 

“Wait a second. We just had amazing sex. What are you freaking out about?” Her eyes widened and she looked at him as if he’d grown five heads. 

 

“What am I freaking out about? What am I freaking out about!” She marched up to him so that she was two inches away from his face. Then she whisper yelled to not wake the sleeping kids upstairs. “I am freaking out because what we just did-

 

“Which was pretty damn mind blowing-” He interrupted.

 

“It doesn’t matter what it was! It was a mistake and it’s never happening again. End of discussion.”

 

“Uh, no, Princess, not end of discussion.” Courtney was about to explode with anger.

 

“Why do you have to make things so hard?”

 

“You didn’t mind things been hard a few minutes ag-”

 

“Gah! Just stop it! Stop talking!” She took a deep breath to will herself to calm down. 

 

“Today has been the day from hell. First, those assholes looking at me like I was literally meat on a stick.

 

“You heard that?”

 

“Yes, I heard! I’m not deaf! Second, my bastard ex-husband shows up. Third, in an emotional and vulnerable state of mind I had sex with the last person I should have!”  Courtney did have a flair for the dramatic. Sure, Duncan could see why the first two things upset her, but the last he didn’t quite get why it had to be such a problem. He stood up and put his hands on her shoulders.

 

“Don’t touch me! Touching me is what got us into this mess in the first place!” 

 

“Just listen!” She huffed and waited to hear what he had to say. 

 

“Did you ever stop think for one second that you’re wrong about things sometimes?” She shot him a look that said ‘I’m never wrong’. “Something that feels that good, can’t be wrong. You’re overthinking it.”

 

“You’re not thinking enough about it! It’s not just about you and me anymore. What happens to Addison and Vanessa? Let’s entertain this idea of you and me being, whatever it is you wanna be. When it blows up in our faces, which it will, and we hate each other, which we will, then what happens to them?” His eyebrows crinkled together, he hadn’t thought that far ahead.  “They’re friends, they’re happy. The way things are now, works. I’m not risking that.” He couldn’t fight her logic. Why did she have to make so much sense?

 

“What if we don’t end up hating each other?” She wormed out of his grasp but gave him a sympathetic look. 

 

“Duncan, I’m not ready to be with anyone. Even if I was, you already broke my heart once, I can’t go through that again.” He didn’t have any words to counter with. He didn’t have a better argument but he knew that it didn’t feel right to dismiss this. 

 

“I’m going to bed. Stay here, go home, whichever, but tomorrow act as if this didn’t happen.”  Courtney exited the room without another word, leaving him dumbfounded. He heard footsteps coming back, and he thought maybe she changed her mind, but she still evaded him.  She grabbed her underwear off the end table before going upstairs and leaving him all alone for the night. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where Part 2 of the story begins! It's written a little differently than the previous chapters, the story is told through one-shots and drabbles but will go back to normal story format for Part 3!

Ambush

 

Act like it didn't happen? How do you just act like something like that never happened? Granted, there had been many a time when Duncan had slept with a girl and split after as if nothing happened. It was exactly how Vanessa was conceived. With Courtney though, it was different. Courtney wasn't the type of girl to make a habit of those things but more so, he and Courtney had history.

History that couldn't be easily ignored. For a month they acted as if they didn't give into temptation. If Courtney was going to pretend, then so was he. Now, when they saw each other they would leave the conversation and the eye contact to a minimum, but that didn't mean that Duncan hadn't thought about that night. The more he tried not to think about it, was the more he did. It's wasn't like they could avoid each other, acting like everything was normal meant seeing each other at least five days a week. The past month had also made Duncan start to ask himself the same question over and over again: how did he feel about Courtney? He heard the doorbell ring which signaled that she had arrived to pick up Addison.

When he opened the door she gave him a small smile and looked past him. Then two girls came running up to her and hugged her legs.

"Mommy, mommy look what I drew!" Courtney picked up the drawing that was handed to her and she instantly felt an emotion she couldn't place. There in crayon was a picture of the four of them. The most heart melting yet heart wrenching part was the fact that Duncan and her were holding hands in the picture. She didn't want to give her daughter a reason to think that she didn't like her drawing but she was at a loss for how to react. She put on her best smile.

"It's beautiful honey. I love it."

"I helped too!" Vanessa chimed in. Duncan leaned over to see as well and mimicked Courtney's reaction for the children's sake.

"Wow, that's great." A silence fell over them that stretched for longer than was comfortable. Courtney took it upon herself to be the one to cut the tension.

"Vanessa, did you know that your dad used to have green hair?" Vanessa's eyes lit up.

"You did?" She asked looking up at Duncan.

"I did, it was awesome."

"Says you." Courtney muttered under her breath. He shot her a dirty look.

"Addie, did you know your mom used to have a pole up her bu-"

"Shhh!" Courtney covered his mouth with her hand then took it away once she realized what she'd done.

"Yup. It's still there." He smirked. She glared at him but felt more at ease that they were bantering in their normal way. She rolled her eyes, if it weren't for their children she would have given him a earful.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"When a boy picks on a girl it's because he likes her, right?" He instantly dropped his smirk. "Cause you pick on Courtney a lot."

"Uh..."

"Dunkie, do you like-like mommy?" Addison asked and Courtney raised and eyebrow. She had never told Addison to call him that, but all the same she found it funny that her four year old came up with the same nickname she had.

"Yeah, Dunkie, do you like me?" Courtney joined and Duncan looked back and forth at all the interrogating eyes.

"You know what? It's bed time."

"But-" Vanessa whined.

"No buts, time for bed." He turned Vanessa around in the direction of her bedroom then picked up Addison and handed her off to her mother.

"Time to go. Goodnight!" He had turned Courtney around as well and guided her out the door before she could respond. He let out a sigh of relief when the door closed behind him.

"I really need to watch what I say."

* * *

Fears

 

"What were you thinking?"

"They wanted to hear a scary story!" Duncan tried to defend himself against Courtney's wrath.

"They're four!" The four year olds in question were balling their eyes out. Neither of them had stopped crying for the past half hour and Duncan had been getting berated for twenty-eight of those minutes.

"I didn't think they'd get that scared, I told them that it was make believe."

"A story about an evil monster who eats cute little girls was probably not appropriate."

"We're little girls!" Addison cried out.

"And we're cute!" Vanessa added. Duncan sighed and knelt down to the girls who were clinging to each other.

"How about some ice cream? That will make it better, right?" They shook their heads and Duncan looked to Courtney for assistance. Vanessa and Addison were supposed to be having a sleepover at Courtney's house but had begged Duncan to tell them a bed time story before he left. Courtney wasn't one to give into desperation but she wanted to able to get some sleep herself at some point.

"What can we do to make it better? What's going to get you two to bed tonight?" Famous last words.

An hour later the girls were fast asleep.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind." Courtney said in a hushed voice.

"At least they're asleep." Duncan whispered back. The only light in the room came from a Disney Princess nightlight that illuminated the room in a pink glow. All four of them were tucked into Courtney's queen size bed. The girls were cuddled in between them with Courtney and Duncan on the outsides. "I guess telling them that story wasn't the best of my ideas."

Courtney was too tired to argue that he didn't have any good ideas, or to come up with another retort that would distract her from the fact that they were in bed together; even if it was under special circumstances. Instead she was more agreeable.

"At least it wasn't that story about the guy with a hook for a hand. They would have never slept again." Duncan looked back fondly at the memory of telling the teammates of the Killer Bass his go to horror story, and everyone being terrified, including Courtney.

"You were so terrified Princess. It was priceless."

"I was not!" They were now facing each other while using their palms to prop up their heads.

"You were! If I remember correctly, you were the one all over me that night."

"Whatever! It was cold and raining. I was not scared."

"Sure you weren't." He answered sarcastically.

"I wasn't. I don't scare that easily." Courtney said matter of factly.

"Two words. Green jelly." She mock gasped.

"Three words. Celine Dion standees." Now she was grinning from ear to ear.

"That's low." Despite her calling out his embarrassing phobia, he was having a good time rehashing the past. He also remembered that after he had conquered his fear by embracing the cardboard cut out, Courtney had hugged him and called him awesome. For a sixteen year old Duncan, it had made it more than worth it. Courtney had been the first girl to make a hug feel like a home run, just getting a girl like Courtney to smile felt like an accomplishment.

"At least there's one thing I'm not afraid of that you are."

"And what's that?" The light feeling in the room suddenly grew serious.

"Us." Courtney sighed with aggravation. Why couldn't he just let them have this moment? They were getting along so well.

"There isn't an us." She rolled over to face the other way. "Goodnight." Her eyes closed tightly as if to will herself to go to sleep.

Courtney awoke the next morning to the sound of deep breathing. It wasn't unpleasant though, she felt like she was being lulled back to sleep. She felt warm and cozy and didn't want to move. As she began to gain more consciousness she heard voices down the hall coming from Addison's room. The girls sounded like they were playing nicely, so maybe she could just doze off for a few more minutes. Then it occurred to her that the breathing she was hearing was attached to another human, and if Addison and Vanessa weren't in the bed anymore then there was only one other person it could be coming from.

She opened her eyes and was confused when all she saw was black. She shifted when she tried to sit up but found she couldn't easily move. After a little wiggling she was able to see that her face had been pressed into a black t-shirt. She could also discern that what had kept her from being able to move were the arms that were wrapped around her. Courtney noted she wasn't innocent in all this, she had one leg wrapped around his hip and the other in between his legs. Courtney wasn't sure when or how she and Duncan had gotten entangled but she knew that she needed to fix it before he woke up. She would never hear the end of it.

She used her arms to push against the mattress which freed part of her upper body. She was relieved but then froze. From Courtney's position she had a close up view of Duncan's face. She hadn't had a chance so far to really study his face up close. His features were completely relaxed and he looked so calm. She could view how dark his lashes were and a small scar on his forehead. She wondered what stunt he must have been doing when he got it.

Duncan needed to trim his facial hair soon and without thinking she brushed the tip of her finger against his jaw. He was so handsome, she even thought so back when his face was ridden with metal piercings. Suddenly, she drew her hand back.

Courtney needed to get away from him before she did something she would regret. She struggled to unwrap his arms but managed to get herself completely free. Duncan appeared to still be sleeping when she pushed off the mattress and snuck out of the bedroom. She released a sigh of relief that she had escaped the physical and metaphorical hold he had on her. She couldn't look back because she was afraid that if she did she would stay with him. He was harder to resist than she let on but this was for the best, at least that was what she kept telling herself.


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: It's so fluffy I'm gonna die.

Pb&J

"What do you want for dinner honey?" Courtney asked Addison who was sitting a their kitchen island.

"Pb&j!" Courtney was a bit skeptical at her choice.

"For dinner?" Addie nodded indignantly.

"I guess it's okay for one night." Addison was going through a picky phase so if she actually wanted to eat something, Courtney wasn't going to fight her on it. You had to pick your battles.

Courtney opened a kitchen cabinet to look for the peanut butter. She raised up on her tip toes and saw a jar hiding all the way in the back of the cabinet. She strained her arm to reach to the back of the cabinet and when her fingertips finally brushed against it and she was able to grasp the jar.

"All that work just for some peanut butter." She muttered to herself.

'Enjoy a peanut butter-less life' suddenly rung in her head. Courtney looked at the jar of peanut butter as if it had said it itself. She hadn't thought about that line that Duncan had taunted her with for years. Enjoy a peanut butter less life, more like, enjoy a life without risks. The line had worked and they had snuck into Chef's kitchen, and it had been worth it. It was a rush, it was exciting, it was the most fun she'd had in a long time.

That was the thing about Duncan, he got her to do things she would never do on her own. Things that she would think about but not want to risk the consequences. She followed the rules her whole life. Her school record was pristine, she hadn't even gotten a detention before. Duncan on the other hand was the complete opposite. With his juvie record and distaste for authority, they couldn't have been more different. In a way she guessed that's what had drawn her to Duncan in the first place. She felt this need to keep him out of trouble and he felt a need to get her to loosen up.

So she took that first risk with him. That risk that lead to her first love and first heartbreak. Had it been worth it? Was peanut butter worth it? Peanut butter was so appetizing. The smell, the taste. She could eat peanut butter by the spoonful. It was addicting. Then again peanut butter was hard to swallow if you had too much at a time. If you weren't careful it got all over the place and made a big mess, but it was so good that wasn't it worth the mess?

Courtney rolled her eyes as she grabbed the bread and started making the sandwich. Here she was comparing Duncan to peanut butter. What did that make her then? Jam? Courtney realized that she had forgotten said jam and went back to the cupboard.

The thing about jam was that it was so different from peanut butter. Some would say jam was more refined than peanut butter. It could taste sweet or tart and came in an array of flavors; some people loved it and some hated jam. Jam could be sticky and it could stain. Some would say that jam was better alone than with peanut butter. Somehow though, peanut butter and jam went so well together, they were better together rather than separately. They balanced each other out and made something great.

By now Courtney had spread the peanut butter and jam on separate pieces of bread and put them together on a plate. She placed her plate in front of Addison.

"Thanks Mommy! Peanut butter and jam is my favorite!" She exclaimed then took a big bite. Courtney couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah... me too."

* * *

Waxing

"Are you ready?"

"No."

"Want me to count down from three?"

"Just make it quick." Courtney grabbed the edge of the strip of wax and was about to pull when she was interrupted again. "Does this stuff wash off because I think I changed my-" She cut him off when she ripped the strip off in one movement. She flinched at the scream of pain he made.

"See that wasn't so bad was it?" Duncan glared daggers at her.

"That fucking hurt!" He rubbed the space between his eyebrows

"Seriously? You're covered in tattoos and piercings!"

"That's different! I'm going back to using a razor."

"You're such a baby, you could never be a woman."

"Whatever. You're never coming near my face again."

* * *

Cooties

Duncan sat down the two four year olds in front of him after having to break up their argument. Vanessa and Addison had never gotten into a fight before and he wondered what could have caused it.

"All right. Now why are you fighting?"

"Addie took my boyfriend!" Vanessa shouted.

"He was my boyfriend first!" Addison countered.

"Nuh Uh!"

"Yuh huh! Johnny loves me the best!"

"Wait, Wait, Wait. This whole fight is about a boy? You're too young to have boyfriends!"

"We are?" Addison asked.

"When can we have boyfriends?" Vanessa also inquired. He mulled over the idea of his daughter ever having a boyfriend, then he thought what if she had a boyfriend that was like him as a teenager.

"Never."

"Never ever?"

"No boyfriends allowed, ever, for either of you, and that's final. Don't even play with boys."

"Why?" The asked in unison.

"Because..." The only thing that came to mind was an age old way to get girls to stay away from boys. "Boys have cooties."

"What are cooties, Daddy?"

"Cooties are disgusting little germs that boys have and if you go near a boy they'll infect you...forever!"

The girls stared at each other with shocked faces.

"Ew! Boys are gross!"

"I'm never going near a boy again!"

Duncan felt pretty pleased with himself, they would stay away from boys, at least until they realized cooties weren't real.

* * *

Sick

This wasn't the kind of house call Duncan was used to. If a woman texted him at ten o'clock at night it usually meant they were doing so for one reason. Except this was definitely not a booty call. Vanessa was spending the night at his parents' house and he had been at a bar when he had gotten a text from Courtney. Now, he was unlocking her front door using the emergency key she gave him. He was surprised that she trusted him enough but it came in handy in a time like this.

He walked quietly through the first floor of the house trying to seek out Courtney without making too much noise. He knew Addie was asleep and didn't want the risk waking her up.

He found Courtney on the couch, the same couch they had been together on months ago. At his arrival she sluggishly pushed herself into a seated position.

"Your knight in shining armor is here Princess!" Duncan held up the small plastic bag that contained why he was there in the first. Her face lit up as she took it from him and reached for the contents inside.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" Her voice was nasally from a stuffy nose a bit hoarse. Duncan could tell she was a bit dazed from the glazed over look in her eyes and the lopsided smile on her face. Courtney fumbled with opening the box while Duncan watched with amusement. Finally she gave up and handed it to him.

He tore open the box with ease. Duncan opened the little packet of cold medicine and handed her the pills.

"For the damsel in distress." He handed her a glass of water that was on the coffee table but it nearly fell out of her hands. "Wow, you really are sick." He said as he took the glass from her.

"I'll have you know that my fever is only at 101.3!" She slurred as she waved a finger in the air that ended with tapping him on the nose. Duncan laughed at her silliness, he didn't think he had ever seen her this delirious before. She popped the pills into her mouth and made a sour face at the taste of them.

"Here..." Duncan held the cup up to her mouth so that she could take a sip.

"Sorry for making you come out tonight." Courtney offered.

"It's not a big deal, I was already out."

"Oh, we're you busy?" She looked crestfallen at that, and her red nose and messy hair only caused him to want to reassure her more.

"No, it wasn't important." He blew off some drunk blonde that would have definitely went home with him; but when he got Courtney's text that she was sick and out of cold medicine he couldn't say no. Courtney seemed to accept his response and laid back down on the sofa.

"Don't you want to go to bed?"

"Too far. I'll just sleep here." She whined at him. Without asking her permission he picked her up off the couch bridal style.

"What are you doing mister!" She tried to struggle but in the state she was in, it came off as a few light hits to his chest.

"I'm taking you to bed," underneath his breath he added "not in the way I want to though."

"Huh?"

"Nothing." When they got to her bedroom he laid her gently on the bed but she kept her arms around his neck.

"Don't want me to go Prin-" She was staring at him intensely when he faced her.

"You have the most beautiful eyes." Courtney whispered in a breathy voice. His eyes widened and suddenly Duncan was extremely nervous under her gaze. "You really are my Prince Charming, huh?"

"Uh..." Leave it to Courtney to make him sound like a blubbering idiot.

"I love it when you're flustered, you're so cute." The tips of his ears were starting to burn, he knew it must be the fever talking, but Courtney never talked to him like this. Then she was touching the inflamed part of his ears and he had to pull her arms away.

"Okay, I think it's time that you get some sleep." She laid her head down on her pillow as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "You're not going to remember any of this in the morning are you?"

Courtney had passed out before she could hear his question. Duncan leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"Goodnight Princess."


	9. Chapter 8

Visitor

It was very routine now for Courtney to find herself at Duncan's house in the late afternoon. It was routine for her to be knocking on his front door and expecting him to answer with some snarky comment, but it wasn't so routine for the front door to be opened by a woman.

She was middle aged with blonde hair. Her warm smile creased the wrinkles near her blue eyes. Despite the smile lines, Courtney thought she was very pretty and must have been even more beautiful when she was younger.

"You must be Courtney!" She was a picturesque mom that gave off a warm and loving air. Courtney held out her hand to shake the older woman's. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise, although I didn't catch your name..." Courtney replied which a genuine smile.

"Oh goodness! I'm so sorry! I'm Sarah, Duncan's mom!" After all this time she had never met his parents. "Your daughter is absolutely adorable!"

"She is most of the time." Courtney replied in jest. Sarah held the door open for her as she crossed the threshold.

"Where's Duncan?" The brunette questioned when she didn't hear or see him right away, or the girls for that matter. Sarah grinned and motioned for Courtney to follower her.

"He's going to be so mad that I let you see this." Courtney raised an eyebrow as she followed Sarah to Vanessa's room. The door was ajar enough so that she could peak inside.

Seated around a kid size table were Addison, Vanessa, Duncan, and an assortment of stuffed animals and dolls. A plastic tea set sat in the middle of the table. The girls were dressed up with boas and tiaras, but the funniest part was that Duncan was wearing a tiara too, a bright pink one.

"Oh my god." Courtney snickered behind her hand.

"He acts like such a tough guy but he's a softie on the inside."

Courtney couldn't help herself, she started giggling uncontrollably. So much so that the attendants of the tea party followed the noise. As soon as Duncan laid eyes on her he froze, then turned the brightest shade of red. He looked like a deer in headlights and Courtney found his embarrassment completely hysterical. He was frozen as the other two at the table ran up to greet Courtney.

"Well, aren't you two the prettiest princesses I have ever seen!" Courtney greeted them while holding down her laughs.

"Mommy, come play with us!" Addison tugged on Courtney's skirt, while Vanessa took one of her hands.

"We need a real princess at our tea party!"

"A real princess?" Sarah asked her granddaughter.

"Yeah Nana! Courtney is Daddy's princess!" Now Duncan looked even redder if at all possible. He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something to back peddle what Vanessa said but couldn't form words.

"Oh, is that so?" Sarah replied and Vanessa nodded her head. Courtney butted in even though she was having a good time watching Duncan flounder.

"Duncan calls me princess to annoy me, they've overheard, that's all."

"I see." She shot her son a look that Duncan knew meant she was going to interrogate him later.

"Mommy!" Addison said in a drawn out singsong voice, "come play with us!"

"It's time to go home honey, we'll play another time."

"But I want to stay! Pretty please?" Courtney was about to tell her daughter that no they had to leave but Duncan's mother interjected.

"You guys should stay for dinner!"

"Oh no ,I don't want to impose." She didn't want to be impolite but also didn't want to overstay her welcome.

"I won't take no for answer! C'mon girls I made spaghetti!" She held out her hands as each little girl took one and headed in the direction of the kitchen. Now that the room was mostly clear, Duncan finally acknowledged Courtney.

"Not. A. Word." He warned as he tossed the tiara aside.

"I don't have to, I'm going to remember this forever." She taunted him and smiled even when he passed her without being able to make eye contact.

Later that night after the guests left, Duncan was washing the dishes when his mom entered the kitchen.

"The little one is asleep."

"Thanks." He kept his words short to dissuade her from steering the conversation in the direction he knew she wanted to.

"Duncan-"

"Don't say it." She sighed, he had always been her most difficult son.

"I was just going to say that it was nice to meet her." Duncan didn't respond. After a length of time of Sarah decided to prod more.

"She's stunning..."

"I know."

"And incredibly smart..."

"I know."

"And you still love her." He dropped the plate he was cleaning in the sink.

"A mother knows these things Duncan."

"I don't want to talk about this." That didn't surprise her in the least, but it didn't stop her questioning.

"Why not?"

"Just Because. Besides, we're not getting back together."

"That would be a shame."

"She made it abundantly clear that it was off the table."

"So you do want her back?"

"I didn't say that. Look I screwed things up with Courtney before, there's no changing that."

"That was a long time ago sweetheart. When you find someone that you care about, you don't just give up. Duncan, you're not the same reckless teenager anymore, so what I'm trying to say is, just because it didn't work out then doesn't mean it won't work out now."

"You don't know Courtney like I do, if she's made up her mind, then she's not budging."

"I think if anyone can change her mind, you can." All of this serious talk was starting to give him a headache. He wasn't someone who liked to talk about things, most guys weren't. He didn't always think things through before he did something. If it felt right, he did it. So, did being with Courtney feel right?

Of course it did. He didn't have to think about it. If anything, having Courtney back in his life let him realize how much was lacking in it, and with them both being at the same place in their lives right now, maybe it was perfect timing. Even if he didn't like it, his mother did have good intentions, she always did.

Duncan crossed the kitchen to where Sarah stood, then he did something that shocked his mom. He gave her a hug.

"Thanks Ma, I know I've always been a pain in the ass, but you're still there for me." Her arms came around him and he heard her sniffle.

"You better not be crying." She sniffled even harder.

"Shhh just let me have this moment."

"Fine." Duncan has always been her most difficult son, but she knew, deep down, that her sweet little boy was still in there, even if he didn't like to show it.

* * *

Motorcycle

Courtney's heart raced in her chest. She sucked a deep breath as air rushed around her. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Duncan's waist as he raced down the street. She loved the feeling of exhilaration that was coursing through her. It was dangerous, she knew it was, but the excitement of it all outweighed any fear.

Duncan slowed the bike down and came to a full stop.

"So?" He questioned while inclining his head to look back at her.

"Let's go again," She pressed her body against his even closer "faster this time." He flashed a devilish grin and revved the engine.

"Whatever you say Princess." And they took off on the motorcycle again.

* * *

Happy Mother's Day

Courtney was cooking dinner for the girls when she felt a tap on her arm. She looked down to see Vanessa was standing next to her with her hands behind her back. She looked shy which wasn't a trait she normally displayed. Between her and Addison, she was the more outgoing one. She was the kind of child that said hello to everyone and spoke her thoughts aloud often not always thinking before.

Whereas Addison was more reserved and less trusting of people right away. It took her daughter longer to warm up to people. It was perfect that they had each other to balance the other out. So it was strange to see Vanessa looking so hesitant. She was even going as far to looking down at her feet instead of up at Courtney.

"What's wrong?" Vanessa tentatively held out what was behind her back. Courtney almost expected her to hold up something that she had broken accidentally, with how she looked so nervous. She handed her a small card made out of red construction paper that was in the shape of a heart.

"We made cards at school today."

"It's for me?" Vanessa nodded and Courtney gently took it from her. Vanessa waited as Courtney opened it and read the words inside. The spelling and penmanship was fitting for someone her age, but Courtney could still tell what she meant.

"I know you're not my mommy but..." Courtney was speechless. She bent down to wrap Vanessa in her arms and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, did you know that?" Vanessa shook her head no, which made Courtney hold her even tighter, also so that Vanessa wouldn't see the tears falling down her face.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always had this head cannon that Duncan is the youngest of three boys, or the middle child. Anyways, next chapter will start Part 3 and go back to the format of Part 1. For those of you who have been eager, the next chapter is pretty steamy ;)


	10. Chapter 9

Warning: It's steamy ;)

 

The bubbles that floated on top of the water rose as she settled into the bathtub. Courtney exhaled deeply now that she was finally able to relax. The girls were sleeping over her house tonight and they were soundly asleep. Tonight she took the time to pamper herself. She had dimmed the lights, and drew herself a bubble bath. It wasn't often that she got time to focus on her. Her life was devoted to work and her daughter, but she had been happier these last months than she had been in a long time. Although she had to admit that she was exhausted. Her job was demanding and although having Duncan around was a big help, there was still a lot she had to do on her own as a single parent.

What had been the worst part as of late was that she was having trouble sleeping. She would toss and turn all night, which would result in her feeling drained in the morning. Courtney wished she could say she didn't know why she suffered from insomnia, but she knew exactly why.

Duncan. That's why. He was the reason why she couldn't sleep. When the rush of the day was over and she was left to her own devices, Courtney would be consumed with thoughts of him. Nothing was off limits. She thought about his eyes, his voice, his arms; she just wanted to spend hours exploring his body. She thought about how sexy his tattoos were and if there were ones she hadn't seen yet. It wasn't just the physical either.

One of the reasons she had always been so hesitant about liking Duncan when they were teenagers, was because he was so immature and irresponsible, but against all odds, Duncan had become an adult. He was still Duncan, that was for sure, but the fact that he actually had his life together, and took such good care of his daughter, and hers, blew her mind. For Courtney, it was also a major turn on. There had always been a strong physical attraction that she had to him, but dammit, if he wasn't making it difficult not to throw caution to the wind and get in bed with him already.

For a while Courtney had done a good job of taking the memory of when they'd had sex and pushing it to the back of her mind. She threw herself into work, excused it for being caught up in the moment, and kept herself busy. That had kept her occupied enough for a while but lately nothing was a good enough distraction.

So, she fantasized about it, along with all the other thoughts of him. Naturally Courtney was a wound up person, but now she was even more on edge. This was why she so desperately needed some time to relax, but even as the hot water of the bath soothed her muscles, Courtney still couldn't get him out of her head.

She squeezed her legs together and clenched her jaw. Before Duncan had come back into her life, she had never felt this hot and bothered, a desperate need to have someone. She remembered his mouth on her neck and whimpered quietly at the thought. She tried not to picture him above her but it was unavoidable.

It was too much, tentatively she reached a hand between her legs. Maybe, just this once, she would relieve the tension that kept building up inside of her. She let her head drop back against the tub as she stroked herself. She moaned softly while she closed her eyes. She allowed herself to get lost in the feeling and was already feeling her climax building. Just another minute or so and it would all be worth it. Her eyes lazily drifted open again and she nearly had a heart attack at the shadowy figure standing in her doorway. She jumped causing water to slosh onto the floor.

"Don't stop on my account Princess."

Courtney's face immediately heated up and she had the urge to sink underneath the water and drown herself.

"What the hell are you doing here you fucking pervert!" She covered her face with one of her hands, this had to be the most embarrassing moment in her entire life. His eyes pointed downwards to the teddy bear he was holding.

"Vanessa forgot her bear at home."

"So you just decided to let yourself in? That key I gave you is for emergencies only!"

"This is an emergency!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!" In truth, Duncan had used the stuffed toy as an excuse to come over and bother Courtney, but he had never expected to walk in on her like this. It was the hottest thing he had ever seen and he had the evidence in his pants to prove it. "Besides, it seems like you had your own little emergency on your hands."

Courtney was two seconds away from throwing a bar of soap at him.

"Just put the bear down next to the sink and leave." Duncan did what he was told as far as the teddy bear but he wasn't about to leave like she asked.

"Were you thinking about me?" He was half teasing, half hoping with the question. Courtney was deathly silent and Duncan wasn't about to let her brush this off.

"No." It didn't come out confidently and Courtney cursed herself for being so flustered.

"You're a bad liar." Courtney scoffed at him.

"So what if I am, what are you going to do about it?" She regretted what she said instantly, it was like poking a lion. When he came toward her she felt like prey. He leaned over the tub with an arm on either side and that's when she could see the look in his eyes. It was dangerous.

"You have no idea what I want to do to you." Duncan's voice was so low and Courtney could barely breathe but stood her ground.

"Oh?" She looked him straight in the eye even though she knew this was a challenge she wouldn't win. His face was so close to hers that that when he spoke she felt it against her lips.

"I want you so bad. I want to touch you everywhere, I want to taste you, and make you come over and over again." His words shot straight down her body and she squeezed her legs together again to tamper the ache. "I want to be inside of you so much it hurts. The worst part is that I know how fucking perfect you feel. I know what sounds you make and it makes me crazy."

The air felt thick. Courtney gripped the porcelain of the tub. Her chest was heaving and the suds were the only thing keeping him from seeing completely exposed. He seemed to have a similar line of thinking as he glanced down. Courtney wasn't the only one breathing hard, his breathing was just as strained as hers was. When Courtney looked down she noticed that large patches of the bubbles had dissipated and there was more showing than what was covered. The lights were dim, but he could see everything.

The stayed in the silence for a few moments. There was no point for Courtney to try to conceal anything, Duncan had gotten an eye full. When their eyes met again, his were fully dilated.

"You're absolutely beautiful." Courtney was speechless. She tenderly touched both hands to the sides of his face. There were simply no words she could say, so instead, she kissed him as passionately as she could.

She sat up on her knees for better access. Duncan's arms came around her bare back, not caring that she was soaking the front of this shirt and leather jacket. They were drunk on each other. Suddenly her reasons for not being with him didn't feel like reasons, and frankly she didn't care, she just wanted to be lost in this moment forever.

Unfortunately, life had other plans. A distant cry broke thought their moment. Addison was calling for her. She only ever called for her in the middle of the night if she had a nightmare. Courtney broke away.

"I'm sorry." He untangled his arms and nodded. Courtney reached for her robe and got out of the tub. She secured the robe around her and took in the look of longing on Duncan's face.

"Don't go, okay?" She looked back before exiting. He nodded again at her before she left.

But Duncan was gone when she returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly can't believe I wrote that lol Also, sorry for the wait, my work schedule is kinda crazy and I don't have as much time to edit. Hope you guys enjoyed that one!


	11. Chapter 10

Duncan took a long drag of his cigarette. He hadn't smoked in years, the habit had been given up when he had become a father; but when he had gotten into his car and began driving it was the only thing that he could think of to distract him from the mistake he knew he made. For the first time in a long time he panicked. Courtney was going to hate him.

He freaked out. When they were interrupted and Courtney had put a pause on their intimate moment, it gave him a moment to think about what they were about to do and he came to a realization that scared the crap out of him. When she kissed him he had felt something that he hadn't before and it it's intensity scared him. This wasn't a fling that didn't mean anything. This was real and he didn't want to mess it up. It was then that he realized that his mom was right, he was still in love with Courtney, and he was sure that he always would be in love with her.

Usually his fight or flight sense always steered him towards fight. He wasn't one to back down, but this was different. This was serious. Was he ready for something this serious? He didn't know; and he didn't want to hurt her again. If he wasn't sure about this then he knew he couldn't sleep with her, no matter how much he wanted to.

So now what?

Duncan's phone buzzed in his pocket as he pulled up to his house. He sat in his car with the engine off, too nervous to take a look. He was sure it was Courtney texting him to ask why he disappeared. He didn't have an answer that would be good enough. He was going to have to face her sometime, Vanessa would be very concerned if her dad just disappeared off the face of the earth. Then again, Courtney's wrath could easily be the scariest thing Duncan had ever seen, and he had seen a lot. Her fierceness was part of drew him to her.

Knowing that he would have to face her sooner or later, he checked the digital screen. The message wasn't what he was expecting, and it definitely wasn't from whom he was expecting.

* * *

"She must get it from you, because I have no clue how your daughter can sleep through Addie screaming-" Courtney said as she walked back into her bedroom to find it empty. Courtney's heart sunk but tried not to immediately make assumptions. She traveled to the window that faced the front yard and parted the curtains. When she saw that Duncan's car was no longer in her driveway, she had to push down the disappointment. Maybe there had been an emergency, but she doubted it.

Had he changed his mind? Did he not want her? Part of her wanted to call him, find out why he had left her. The more stubborn part of her wouldn't give in to the urge. If he didn't want her then fine, it was what she said she wanted in the first place wasn't it? If it was what she wanted, then why did it hurt so much?

Courtney held back the tears. She tried to think of this in a positive way. If they hadn't been interrupted they could have had an amazing night together but she would have broken her own rule and put a strain on their friendship. It was better this way, right? She couldn't fault him for listening to her for once, could she? That didn't change that she felt rejected.

Her cell phone chimed and she hated that she hoped it was him. She avoided checking it for a while. She drained the tub, put on pajamas and brushed her teeth to make the time pass. It wasn't until she had gotten into bed that Courtney finally looked at her cell phone.

It was the last person that she anticipated to reach out to her, with an invitation she couldn't see coming this late on a Sunday night. She scanned over the message again to make sure she hadn't misread the mass text.

_'_ _Dudes!_

_It's been fifteen years! Reunion party at my place next Saturday! Original TDI cast only!_

_No Chris and No cameras!_

_Feel free to bring kids!_

_-Geoff'_

Courtney immediately deleted the message. No way in hell would she be going.

* * *

Courtney didn't have to see Duncan until the next afternoon. As per usual, she brought the girls to preschool in the morning and he picked them up. Now as she pulled up his driveway she knew there was no more delaying the inevitable. She could already see how it would play out. She would pretend nothing happened and he would use that as an out and they would go back to the way they were. More incidents would happen for years to come and they would be stuck in this cycle forever. Wonderful.

Just as she was unbuckling her seatbelt and readying herself for the inevitable, Courtney's cell phone went off. She had to dig through her purse to find it and answered it without checking the caller id.

"Hello?"

"Courtney?" The female voice on the other end of the phone asked.

"Yes?"

"Hey! It's Bridgette!" She was caught by surprise, she and Bridgette tried to catch up every now and then but the calls became fewer and far between as they got older.

"Uh, Courtney?"

"Yes, hi! Sorry I was just caught off guard. How are you?"

"I'm good! Geoff hadn't heard from you so I thought I'd give you a call to see if you're coming on Saturday." Out of all the couples from Total drama, Geoff and Bridgette were still together, Courtney didn't necessarily understand it but she did admire their commitment to each other.

"I did, but I don't think I'm going to be able to make it."

"Is it because of, you know who?"

"What?"

"Is it because of Duncan?" She had almost forgotten that no one really knew that she saw Duncan on a daily basis.

"No, it's not Duncan."

"Are you sure? I know things ended badly with you two, and would completely understand if you didn't want to see him."

"That's not it." Speaking of, she could see his front door opening and her little one running towards her car, Duncan trailing behind her.

"Then what is it?"

"It's a long story." Courtney jumped out of the car to greet a grinning Addie.

"Then tell me at the party."

"But I'm not going to the party."

"What do you mean you're not going?" That was Duncan, budding in like it was his business what she did.

"Can we talk about this later." She directed toward Duncan but Bridgette answered, thinking that she was talking to her.

"How are we going to talk about it later when you said you're not coming?"

"Not you Bridgette."

"You're talking Bridgette? Tell her I say hi."

"Tell her yourself!" Courtney exclaimed thrusting the phone into Duncan's hands, she was getting whiplash from going back and forth.

"Courtney? Hello?" Bridgette could hear a lot of rustling and thought maybe the call had dropped.

"Don't worry blondie she'll be there." Duncan said before hanging up the device. Courtney felt a surge of anger run through her, her pent up emotions were finally going to come to the surface. She kept her composure together for a little longer as she opened the backseat door to her car. She lifted Addie up into her seat.

"Sweetie can you sing your abc's as loudly as you can?" She requested before closing the door, then getting close enough to Duncan so that he would hear her even as she whispered. She was going to give him a piece of her mind.

"Who do think you are? What makes you think that you have any say in what I do or where I go? Why even act like you care?" Although he felt badly, Duncan didn't mind that she was mad at him, he deserved it. Except, this wasn't her being pissed because he was being annoying. This was true anger, which after last night he couldn't blame her.

"Look, I'm sorry-"

"Save it." There was a moment when he saw the anger in her eyes turn into something else. Something that made his chest hurt. Her eyes were shiny and Duncan knew he really blew it this time. "I should have known better than to fall for you again."

Courtney turned on her heel, leaving him with those final words. Her car was halfway down the street before he completely processed what she said. The corners of his mouth turned up. Whether she noticed or not, she just admitted that she loved him, and if she did, then maybe he could fix this.

* * *

They were back to not speaking, not for lack of Duncan trying, but Courtney flat out wouldn't respond to anything he said or did. The week moved onward and Courtney kept pretending he didn't exist.

"You can't ignore me forever you know." He goaded her as she stood in his doorway to pick up her Addison. Her eyes were glued to he phone as she checked her emails. Duncan had given her time to cool down but this was getting ridiculous. If she had been looking she would have seen it coming but because she was ostracizing him her phone got easily swiped out of her hand.

It didn't get him a verbal response out of her but she did huff and look dubiously at him.

"Do I have your attention now?" Courtney continued to stare him down and crossed her arms over her chest. It had been hard enough to get Courtney to give him the time of day, that now that he had her attention he didn't know what to say.

"You didn't think you'd get this far did you?" Even though Duncan could have done without her tone, he had missed the sound of her voice. "What do you want?"

"I shouldn't have said you'd be there tomorrow, okay? You're all Miss Independent, I get it." Her expression hadn't budged. "And I kinda wanted us to go...together."

Courtney gawked at him. After what he had done it made no sense that he would want that.

"Together?"

"Yeah and the girls too."

"You do know what people are going to think, don't you?" He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as if it wasn't going to raise any questions.

"C'mon Courtney, it will be fun."

"That's unlikely."

"Stop being such a sour puss Princess." He joked to lighten the mood.

"Don't make fun of me when I'm mad at you! And give me back my phone already! I'm still not going!"

"I'll give you back your precious phone when you agree to come to the party." The sounds of small footsteps grew louder before Vanessa and Addison joined the conversation.

"What party Mommy?"Addie held Courtney's hand and looked up at her innocently.

"I wanna go to a party!" Vanessa added. Duncan smirked, maybe she could say no to him but she couldn't easily say no to them.

"I wanna go too! Can we go mommy?"

"See Courtney, it's three to one, majority rules." Duncan knew that if he used her type of logic she would have to agree. Reasoning with a lawyer could be tricky, especially if it was Courtney.

Courtney was cornered now. She could say no, but she couldn't easily explain to the children why she didn't want to be in Duncan's presence. It would also feel awkward to be surrounded by people she hadn't seen in almost fifteen years, and that those people didn't have the most fond memories of you. Then again, if she didn't go it would make her seem cowardly.

"Okay. We'll go."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reunion anyone? It's always hard to edit because I can't tell if I'm being repetitive or if I've just read the same parts over too many times. Thank you guys for the reviews and kudos!


	12. Chapter 11

The sound of the engine turning off caught Courtney's attention. She had purposely been quiet for most of the car ride, and to keep Duncan from prying, she blasted the Moana soundtrack the whole hour it had taken them to get to Geoff and Bridgette's house.

"We're here." Duncan announced to the occupants.

"That took forever!" Vanessa yelled from the back seat. For their young girls it had felt like forever but for Courtney it hadn't felt long at all. She was so nervous, she didn't know if Duncan was playing it cool or if he really wasn't anxious at all. Upon realizing that she was the only one in the vehicle not unbuckling themselves, Courtney did the same.

The walk to the front door was too short and soon Duncan was lifting up Addison because she wanted to ring the door bell.

"Hey." Duncan said softly and she turned her head towards him. "It's gonna be fine."Courtney tried to smile just as the door was opening.

"Oh my god!" Both of them turned their heads to see Bridgette standing in the doorway. She mostly looked the same besides that she was at least six months pregnant. "Geoff come here!" Bridgette called somewhere off in the distance. A moment later the taller blond male was next to her. His expression was as shocked as hers but he recovered quickly.

"Dudes! So glad you made it!"

"Told you we wouldn't miss it bro!" Duncan easily greeted as Courtney waved.

"And who are these little ladies?" Addison immediately curled herself into Duncan's arms, as Vanessa introduced herself.

"I'm Vanessa! Why are you wearing a funny hat?" Geoff shook her small hand.

"She has a point, don't tell me you're still rocking that same cowboy hat?" Duncan asked.

"Oh no, I let him take it out of hiding for the occasion." Bridgette interjected for her husband. "Is this your daughter Courtney?"Addison still clung to Duncan and stared with her hazel eyes at the strangers before her.

"She's a little shy." Courtney answered. Geoff held the door open as they all crossed the threshold into the living room. "Do you want me to take her?" Courtney asked Duncan when suddenly many pairs of eyes were on them.

"It's okay, I got her." For a few moments it was completely silent as the other inhabitants noticed who had arrived.

"They came... together?" It was Heather, who looked on unbelievingly, and yet almost disappointed. "If there was going to be any drama at this thing I thought it was going to be from having you two in the same room again."

"Sorry to disappoint you Heather. Duncan threw back at her smirking at the frown on her pretty features.

"It's still early."

Courtney felt Bridgette's hand on her arm.

"C'mon lets go talk." Suddenly a flash of red hair attached to a woman making tribal noises zoomed past them. Three identical boys with dark hair trailed behind her causing both women to jump back. It was surprising to see Eva calling after them.

"Boys! What did I say about running! Who invited Izzy or whatever she goes by now anyway? Her crazy is rubbing off on my kids!" Courtney and Bridgette raised their eyebrows at each other.

"Daddy can I go play too!" Vanessa asked Duncan, who eyed skeptically.

"Sure just be careful around that lady." He said while pointing to Izzy.

"C'mon Addie! Shy time is over!" She pulled on Addie's leg so that Duncan would put her down. Addison looked back at Courtney to see if it was okay. Courtney nodded and Vanessa took Addison's hand and led her through a throng of people.

Bridgette motioned for Courtney to follower her and they left Duncan and Geoff to converse. They passed through the kitchen where DJ was taking appetizers out of the oven while trying to keep Owen from eating them before they cooled. They stopped for Courtney to say hello then went through a door that went to the laundry room. Once the door was closed behind them Bridgette asked Courtney what she had been dying to.

"When did this happen?" Courtney sighed, she knew this was coming.

"Can I at least congratulate you on your pregnancy first?" Courtney smiled while going in to hug Bridgette and her baby bump. "Do you know what your having?"

"It's a girl, Geoff couldn't be more excited." Courtney was truly happy for them. Bridgette was so kind and caring and she was simply glowing.

"You're going to be an amazing Mom Bridgette."

"Thanks Courtney, that means a lot, but no more stalling! Spill already!"

"Okay, okay! First off, we're not dating." Bridgette looked skeptical at that but let Courtney continue. "Our kids go to preschool together. That's basically it."

"That must have been some surprise."

"You're telling me." Courtney's expression gave away that there was a lot she was leaving out on purpose.

"There's more..." Courtney paced back and forth a bit. Somehow this was worse than being in any court room.

"We're friends. We get along better now than we ever did. I mean, we still argue."

"That's a given." Bridgette giggled.

"We kinda co-parent our kids. I bring them to school, he picks them up since I have to be at the office late. We have a good system."

"Are you really saying that nothing at all has happened between you two? Nothing?" It was hard for Bridgette to believe that their relationship was merely platonic friendship. Not when she had caught a glimpse of them looking at each other in her front doorway. That was not the way friends looked at each other. Courtney stopped her pacing. She didn't want to reveal the intimate details about her and Duncan, but it was so nice to have someone to vent to for a change. Someone who knew their history.

"We may have accidentally slept together once..." Bridgette's eyes bulged at the confession.

"How do you have sex with someone by accident?"

"Poor self control? I don't know Bridgette! He drives me nuts."

"Because you're crazy about each other!

"We're just friends." She trailed off with a sullen tone.

"Is that really what you want?"

"It's better for the kids. I already uprooted Addison's life once this year, I can't jeopardize that for my own selfish reasons." Bridgette could tell Courtney was thinking with her head and not her heart.

"From the looks of it, she's as attached to Duncan as he is to her. I don't think he's going anywhere." Seeing them together always melted her heart, and her thoughts on the matter showed across Courtney's features. She couldn't help but smile. "Look, I think you should take a chance."

"Take a chance on something that could fail miserably? Again? If one thing about me hasn't changed, it's that I don't like to fail."

Suddenly the door to the laundry room bursted open before Bridgette could reply. Four sets of eyes stared at each other like deer in headlights.

"Uh... is this room taken?" Lindsay asked in her normal ditzy fashion. A red faced Tyler was behind her.

"Er... knock yourselves out." Bridgette said as she stepped aside.

"Thanks! Me and Todd have some catching up to do."

"It's Tyler!" The other three people in the room corrected her.

"Right!"

Courtney and Bridgette left the soon to be makeout session. Bridgette grimaced when she heard the door lock behind them.

"Anyway, just take a chance for once okay?" Bridgette asked, referring to their conversation before it was interrupted.

"I'll think about it."

* * *

Bridgette and Courtney had disappeared which left Geoff and Duncan in the living room. Once both women were out of ear shot, Geoff elbowed Duncan in the side.

"So you and Courtney huh?" Geoff offered Duncan a sly knowing smile.

"It's not what you think."

"Sure." He drew out the word to show he didn't believe him.

"Really man. I screwed up any chance of us getting back together."

"Just do what I do when I mess up with Bridge."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Apologize over and over again until she forgives me." Duncan rolled his eyes, Geoff had always had it bad for Bridgette.

"But really dude, just say your sorry and that you won't do it again and you'll be making out in no time."

"Guess it works considering you've been together for this long."

"That's the thing dude, Bridgette's the best thing that's ever happened to me, so yeah I'm gonna put my pride aside if it means she's happy." Duncan couldn't fault him for that. His pride had gotten in the way of their relationship before. He and Courtney both had problems in that department. "What did you do to make her mad at you anyway?"Geoff inquired.

"She would literally kill me if I told you." Plus, he took some sort of pride in knowing that only he say Courtney's naughty side. It was just for his eyes and he wasn't too keen on sharing.

Just then the door bell rang and Geoff went to answer. Duncan looked on in mild anticipation. He couldn't really think of anyone showing up that would peak his interest. He was correct that it wasn't someone that interested him but others in the room had different feelings.

"I forgot how beautiful he is..." Beth said dreamily with her hands clutched together.

"Me too..."Added Owen who had poked his head out from the kitchen. Duncan had never gotten the appeal of Justin. Why did people fall all over themselves in his presence? He was a pretty boy, so what? For most of Duncan's time on Total Drama he didn't have any beef with Justin, not until he showed an interest in Courtney.

"Talk about the human embodiment of overrated." Even though her voice grated on his nerves, Duncan found himself nodding in agreement.

"What brings you over here Heather?"

"Oh, you know, just to chat." She said sarcastically "Why do you think?"

"If it's about Courtney, then it's really none of your damn business."

"If there was nothing to tell, you wouldn't have any reason to be defensive about it."

"Can't you take a hint?"

"I can, but this is much more fun." Duncan rolled his eyes, how did he get stuck talking to Heather of all people? "Maybe not as much fun as you have playing house with Courtney? Must have been easy for you sweep in after that nasty divorce she went through?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I have my sources." Heather's eyes lit up mischievously as something caught her attention. "Speaking of, looks like Justin just bumped into the one person from the show he felt worthy of his precious attention."

Duncan followed Heather's eyes to see what she was talking about. He clenched his jaw slightly when he saw that Justin was talking to Courtney and sporting that annoying white smile at her. The worst was that Courtney allowing him to talk to her. Duncan knew that he had no reason to be angered, Courtney was probably just being polite. It didn't help that Duncan couldn't quite hear their conversation.

"Aren't you going to become the jealous boyfriend and jump in?" Heather taunted.

"They're just talking, Heather." Then, Justin put his hand on Courtney's shoulder and Duncan tensed.

"Doesn't look like they're just talking to me."

"Courtney can handle herself." Justin must have said something that was supposed to be funny because Courtney laughed, but it was the kind of forced laugh that didn't reach her eyes. She used the moment of fake laughter to scan the room, her eyes locked with his and her expression screamed 'save me'.

"That's my cue."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for it taking so long for this update, it was long overdue, I've been extremely busy with work/life so it's been hard to find time to edit. Hope you guys enjoyed that one! Also, I decided to just ignore that Izzy had that accident that made her like super smart or whatever it was, she was more fun before.


	13. Chapter 12

Once they had been booted from the laundry room, Bridgette went to go check whether her guests needed anything. Meanwhile, Courtney wandered back to the living area to find Duncan. It was strange to think that in this situation Duncan was the person she was the most comfortable around. Her mocha eyes searched the room upon entrance and saw that he was dealing with Heather. Sure, she had her moments, and had been a fierce competitor, but it was safer to steer clear of her. Courtney began to walk over to interrupt but collided with a hard body.

"Are you okay?" A man's voice asked her. When Courtney regained her composure she was able to see who she had bumped into and was surprised that he hadn't made a comment about his precious skin bruising easily. Instead, he gave her a dazzling smile, the kind that had made his modeling career.

"Wow, Courtney? You look great." Coming from him it felt like a compliment, mostly because he was so conceited about his own looks. "You've aged almost as good as I have." He put his perfectly moisturized hand on her shoulder.

"Gee, Thanks." Her peeved tone went right over his head. Justin's arrogance was still very much intact.

"So, did you come here alone?" His forwardness surprised her; his confidence must know no bounds.

"Not exactly." The model's icy blue eyes seemed discouraged at that, but he inquired further.

"Boyfriend? Husband?" He pushed.

"No." Courtney answered firmly.

"That means you're single?" The situation between her and Duncan was too complicated to be considered a relationship. She thought of lying but surely he would find out the truth soon enough.

"You could say that." He didn't hesitate to shine his pearly whites at her again.

"What a coincidence, you could say that about me too." A rigid smile and forced giggle filled the space between them. Courtney needed an escape from him and fast. Maybe if she was truly desperate then she would give Justin the time of day, but he had never harnessed her attention. Courtney glanced around the room and saw Duncan staring directly at her. She flashed a panicked expression and really hoped he could read her mind. Courtney reluctantly turned her attention back to Justin. She noticed he had taken a step to close the space between them and nervously backed up.

In case Duncan hadn't taken her signal Courtney thought of something else that may deter Justin.

"I should really go check on my daughter, last time I checked she was with Izzy." Courtney quickly covered.

"You have a kid?" Courtney inwardly smiled, he definitely wouldn't be interested now. "I love kids!" All Courtney could think was 'Seriously?' Justin didn't seem like the kid type.

Just when Courtney thought she was going to be stuck avoiding Justin's advances for the rest of the night, she felt an arm snake around her waist and lips hovering next to her ear.

"Just say the words and I'll punch his lights out." Duncan whispered. His intentions may have been good but his voice in her ear and warm breath on her cheek like that gave her goosebumps. The last thing she wanted was to reveal their ambiguous relationship status to the Wawanakwa veterans, but at the same time melting into his arms was so tempting.

"That won't be necessary." She reassured. Justin looked back and forth between the two of them and took note of their familiarity with each other.

"Are you two...?" Justin wasn't known for his looks, but he could at least put two and two together.

"More or less." Duncan answered for both of them and Courtney gave him a sideways glance. She hoped they were at least on the same page as far as keeping thing hushed.

"Right... I guess I'll see you around then Courtney..." Justin tried not to sound too disappointed.

"Probably not." Duncan retorted which caused Justin to shoot him a dirty look as he left them. As soon as Justin was out of sight, Courtney turned on Duncan.

"What was that for?" Courtney whisper-yelled. Although she reprimanded him, she let him keep his hand on the small of her back.

"You wanted me to rescue you, didn't you?" Duncan looked oh-so smug.

"You could have gone about it a differently, but yes."

"Then what's the problem?" He was giving her this look that was making it very hard for her to be mad at him, and she was indeed still mad at him. She hadn't forgotten what had happened a week ago, but there was something about Duncan that made it hard for her to maintain a grudge. She picked imaginary lint off of his black button down shirt to keep her focus on something else. Duncan knew she always did little anal things like this to distract herself. He gently rubbed circles on her back and smirked when Courtney bit her bottom lip. Duncan couldn't help himself, for one because he had a hard time keeping his hands off of her, but two because she tried so hard to not be affected by him. He leaned in again so that no one else could possibly hear him when he said, "The only problem I see, is that I can't kiss you right here, right now."

Courtney could hear her own shallow breathing and was sure Duncan could too. When she finally looked back at him she could see how dilated his pupils were. She absently wondered if the Lindsay and Tyler were done in the laundry room. At this point she didn't care if anyone saw their closeness, she was fine with them being in their own little world and by now couldn't remember why she was mad at him in the first place. He made her dizzy, forgetful.

The moment was interrupted when the lights flicked off. The only source of light that could be found were from candles atop a cake.

"Whose birthday is it? Were we supposed to bring presents?" It was Lindsay's airhead voice breaking through the crowd.

"It's not a birthday cake, it's an anniversary cake!" Geoff corrected in his usual jovial manner. "Look what's on it!" Curiosity had everyone gathering around to take a look.

"Oh my god Katie, we were so cute!" Sadie exclaimed.

"I know! I love your outfit!"

"I love yours!"

"You're wearing the same outfit." Noah deadpanned.

"I look flawless." Heather announced to anyone who would listen.

"That's because you weren't bald yet," countered LeShawna, who instantly received a dirty look. The picture that had been printed on the cake was the first cast picture they had ever taken. The group was all smiles, for they hadn't know what laid ahead.

"Daddy I can't see!" Vanessa kept jumping to try to get a better look. Duncan put her on his shoulders which allowed her to tower over anyone taller than her.

"You're hair really was green! Can you make it pink Daddy?" Her little hands were messing with his hair, trying to imagine the dark strands being pink. Duncan didn't seem too keen on the idea.

"Can I have cake Mommy?" Addison asked as she too put her arms out to be picked up. The group of them felt a large presence behind them.

"Cake? There's cake? I love cake!" Owen had a dreamy look in his eye at the thought of dessert.

"You have to wait until all kids get cake first." Bridgette chastised; Owen could easily eat the whole thing by himself. Owen dejectedly accepted, he understood her caution even though he had gotten his eating habits under control...mostly.

"All right Dudes! Let's cut into this thing and get on with the party!" Geoff butted in loudly.

"Can I have the piece with my face on it?" Justin requested. You could feel the eyes rolling around the room.

* * *

The night went on as the past contestants mingled with each other. Harold was earnestly talking to Leshawna, obviously still enamored by her voluptuous body and personality. Tyler had disappeared with Lindsay again, despite her lack of ability to remember his name. Heather hadn't left the party yet despite her being constantly glued to her phone. Her eyes darted around the room every few seconds for she didn't want anyone to notice that a certain latin stud was on the other end of her text messages. Izzy had apparently started a game of hide and go seek with the kids except they had given up on finding her after a half an hour and her whereabouts were still unknown. No one seemed to be too worried about it.

Geoff had put on some music to which he helped his pregnant wife sway to. Many of the formers campers had joined them including Duncan, who had been dragged into it by Addison and Vanessa. He took turns watching them with Courtney so that he could take a break. Those little girls had so much energy in them and although being thirty-one wasn't considered old by any means, he could only match their preschooler level of energy for so long. He took a seat on a nearby couch, letting out a deep breath.

"Hey there stranger."

Duncan turned to face the voice that greeted him. Like him, she had lost the vibrant color in her hair. She looked more or less the same except she had toned down the dark makeup for something more natural. Duncan wasn't sure when Gwen had gotten there, he didn't remember seeing her before this moment.

"Hey..." Duncan had known there was a great chance that he was going to see Gwen tonight but he still hadn't prepared what he would say when he did. "How are you?" It was harmless enough.

"I'm good...How about you?" Gwen also didn't know how to break the ice. They hadn't spoken since All Stars when she broke up with him. It was clear that they were both a little uneasy.

"I'm good too." There was an awkward pause where neither of them spoke.

"So when did you get here?" Duncan finally asked.

"A little while ago, I had an art show." Gwen had always been artistic, it wasn't a surprise that she pursued art as a career.

"Cool..." He tried to sound enthusiastic but nothing could change that this was a stiff conversation.

"Well, this is weird." Gwen admitted.

"You took the words right out of my mouth."

"I know Geoff loves to throw parties but didn't he stop to think this might be a little strange for some of us?"

"Probably not." They both kind of laughed at that. Geoff was the kind of guy to remain friends with everyone and not pass up the chance to have a party. For him, there was no such thing as bad blood- except maybe with Blainely.

"Well... I'm glad you're doing well..." Gwen fiddled with her hands awkwardly.

"You too..." Duncan debated if they should dredge up the past. It was a long time ago, they'd both obviously moved on with their lives. Did it make sense to bother?

Duncan's thoughts got interrupted when he felt a weight on his lap. Addison had climbed up and began getting comfortable.

"What's up Addie?" Duncan no longer was surprised by the affection from Courtney's daughter.

She rubbed an eye and when she answered she had a drowsy drawl to her voice. "I'm sleepy. I wanna go to bed."

"Having a sugar crash from all that cake?"

She nodded and laid her head down on his chest, she would likely fall asleep like that, but Duncan didn't mind.

"Is this your daughter?" Gwen inquired while she gestured to Addison.

"No..." This was going to be interesting to explain. He signed, preparing for a lot of questions."She's Courtney's. My daughter Vanessa is over there." He pointed to where Vanessa was. Courtney was twirling her around over and over again. Vanessa had a huge smile on her face. Duncan couldn't help but reflect that same smile. His daughter was happy and Courtney looked gorgeous out there. He couldn't ask for more in life.

"After all these years, you still look at Courtney like that?" Gwen raised a brow. Duncan considered her question. It didn't take him long to have an answer.

"Yes." He tore his eyes off of Courtney and Vanessa then checked to see that Addison was fast asleep. He didn't want her to hear his past relationship issues. "I should have never started a relationship with you when I was still in love with someone else. I'm sorry."

Gwen half smiled. "I think I always knew...So are you guys one big happy family now?"

"Not yet." He owed Courtney one hell of an explanation. Despite her recent behavior, Duncan knew better than to think she hadn't forgotten how he had slighted her. He noticed something had caught Gwen's eye and followed her line of sight to see that Trent had gotten to the party sometime as well and was talking to Cody. Duncan lightly pushed Gwen in the shoulder.

"Go talk to him," he urged.

"I don't know." She said nervously. Would he even want to talk to her? Gwen always regretted the way she had handled things with Trent.

"You'll never know if you don't."

"I don't know what I'd say. I didn't really give him a chance- I just blew him off because I was young and thought we were too different. I wanted to reach out to him or something but I just couldn't, you know?"

Duncan did know. There were times where he had wanted to get in touch with Courtney throughout the years but hadn't- whether because he thought she wouldn't want to talk to him or because he didn't know what he would say. Duncan wondered what life would have been like if they hadn't crossed paths months ago. Would he have seen her at this party? Or ever again?

Gwen interrupted his train of thought with musings of her own. "It was scary being with someone so different than me. You and me seemed to make more sense because we were so alike. Trent made me want things that contradicted who I thought I was. It was easier to take an out." That hit Duncan hard. It explained so much that he hadn't been able to conclude by himself in regards to his relationship with Courtney. It came to him what he needed to say to Courtney so that she could trust him again. Tonight. He was going to tell her _tonight_ ; convince her that he was done wasting time. They should be together. They both knew it. He paused his epiphany to return to the present.

"You're right. We were always better as bros." He lightly punched Gwen in the shoulder.

"Hey! I'm very much a girl." She punched him back but made sure it wouldn't wake up Courtney's daughter. Duncan rolled his eyes.

"I can tell, you've got the whole girly crush thing down with the way you're eyeing Trent." Duncan smirked. His friendship with Gwen was coming back quite naturally.

"Shut up!" She objected, her pale cheeks quickly tinting pink. Clearly the two old friends still had a bit of teenager left in them. Duncan got a devious idea.

"Hey Trent!" He yelled across the room, causing Trent to look around confusedly. Gwen's eyes bulged and her face heated up more. Trent finally traced where the source of the call had come from and was now staring directly at them. Gwen waved shyly.

"I hate you." She said out of the side of her mouth. Now Trent was tentatively waving back and Gwen felt obligated to go over there, especially now that Cody waving as well.

"You're gonna thank me one day!" Duncan said proudly as Gwen stood up. She gave him the finger as she walked away.

* * *

Courtney watched the exchange between Duncan and Gwen. She couldn't hear what they were talking about but snuck glances at them when she could while trying not to be noticed. An uncomfortable knot formed in her stomach. Everything they had been through should have been enough to reassure her that Duncan did have feelings for her, but it hit a sore spot to see him with Gwen- even if they were just talking. Her heart raced against her will; she didn't think it should have bothered her to see Duncan talking to Gwen, but it did. It dug up old feelings that she had thought had been long gone.

Courtney turned her attention back to Vanessa. Even if Duncan was being more than friendly, it wouldn't be her place to be upset. She was the one who insisted that they be just friends, even if they seemed to have trouble not crossing that line. So Courtney continued to twirl Vanessa around and tried not to think about her conflicting emotions. Vanessa brought a hand up to her face and rubbed one of her eyes.

"I think someone's getting tired," Courtney mused.

"Am not!" Vanessa protested but then let out a yawn that didn't help her case.

"Okay sleepyhead, I think it's time to go home." Courtney suggested. Vanessa pouted but allowed Courtney to lead her nonetheless. Gwen had departed by the time they reached Duncan, and Courtney was somewhat relieved that she didn't have to exchange awkward pleasantries, especially when their shaky friendship hadn't ended well.

"We should get going." Courtney said to Duncan as rose from the couch with Addison still in his arms.

"But I said I wasn't tired!" Vanessa still refused to admit she was fading fast.

"C'mon rockstar, you gotta sleep sometime."

"No, I don't!" Reasoning with a tired child was pointless. Vanessa was a sweet little girl, but she could get awfully grumpy when she didn't get her way. In the midst of what was surely soon to be a battle, the group of them were approached by Sadie and Katie.

"Oh my gosh your daughters are so cute!" Courtney was about to open her mouth to say that now was not the time; but she didn't get a word out as the duo kept going on and on.

"They're best friends just like me and Katie!"

"You should put them in matching outfits!" Sadie suggested her eyes alight. Katie gasped as she clutched Katie's hands and the pair of them began jumping in practiced synchronicity.

"Sadie that is such a good idea!"

Courtney and Duncan stared at them with annoyed expressions, now was really not the time. Lucky for them, Vanessa had a change of heart.

"Daddy... those ladies are scary... we can go home now." The three of them nodded in agreement and left while the pair of squealing best friends were engaged in a loop of complimenting each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally I know! Hopefully the longer chapter makes up for the fact that I haven’t updated this fic in so long. I have to give a HUGE shoutout/thank you/words of praise to fefetasprite(ao3)/ tentahugs(tumblr) for helping me edit this chapter. She’s amazing! Thank you everyone for your patience with me as well. I will do my very best to not let the next update take this long!


	14. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here! The last chapter! Once again, I have to give an enormous amount of gratitude to fefetasprite on ao3/ tentahugs on tumblr for all her help editing this chapter. Without further ado, chapter 13!

"Courtney...Princess you're home." A husky but soft voice rustled Courtney from her nap in the car. Duncan pushed away the hair that had fallen in her face while she was asleep. Upon realizing she had dozed off, Courtney quickly sat up and took in her surroundings, and found that she was in her driveway. She looked to the backseat to see both girls were asleep like she had been. For all of her protesting, Vanessa was off in dreamland.

Courtney turned her head to say something about putting them in bed, but froze when she saw that Duncan was staring intently at her. The look he had on his face was so serious that it made her nervous. She rarely saw him like this and it made the mood feel suddenly heavy. He hadn't taken his hand away after pushing back her hair and was now brushing his thumb against her cheek.

"I'm still mad at you..." She said even though she leaned into his touch. Her pout was unconvincing.

"You're always mad at me." Duncan countered.

"You have a point there." Courtney admitted.

"So I was talking to Gwen..." He was hesitant to start off the conversation with bringing her up.

"I saw." Courtney replied curtly. Duncan winced just slightly as she began to jump to conclusions. Evidently, it was still a sore spot.

"Well... she made me realize something." Courtney kept her expression blank though she couldn't help but feel that he was about to tell her bad news. She braced herself for the worst.

"My feelings for you scare me." He'd gone his whole life skirting feelings and avoiding being truly sincere with the people he cared about. Courtney was his wake up call. "That's why I left the other night." Duncan's admission wasn't at all what she was expecting. She opened her mouth to respond but was cut off when he spoke again.

"You were always different. Before you I'd never been in anything serious or felt anything serious with anyone, until you." His eye contact wavered for a moment, but reaffirmed his sincerity by meeting her eyes again. Courtney leaned in closer, now hanging onto his every word. Her eyes widened as she took everything in, unsure if she was awake or still dreaming.

"When we started to argue more and more, I figured it was easier to be with someone who didn't challenge me, someone that I always got along with. It turned out that I only liked Gwen as a friend but it took me until it was too late to fully realize that. I found myself missing you time and time again. What I felt for Gwen wasn't anything compared to what I felt for you, what I still feel for you. We were too young and I wasn't ready then." Duncan still had his hand around the back of her neck, his thumb still lingering on that spot on her cheek.

"I wasn't ready then, but, I think I'm ready now." Duncan poured his feelings with absolute conviction. He wasn't a teenager anymore. No more beating around the bush. His feelings that had been latent for so long were on the table.

Courtney's breath caught. She didn't think that there was anything Duncan could do or say that would surprise her anymore, but somehow he did once again. His spontaneity was one of his best qualities. It gave her a rush like nobody else could.

Duncan anxiously anticipated her response. He'd taken a huge risk by telling her all of this and wasn't sure if this would be enough to convince Courtney of his unwavering feelings. He desperately he prayed it would. Her silence finally broke.

"I promise not to try to change who you are if you promise not the cheat on me ever again. Deal?" A wide grin spread out on his face. Instead of answering Duncan leaned across the median to kiss her like he had been wanting to all night, Courtney leaned back slightly just before his lips were about to touch hers.

"Is that a yes?" She asked.

"It's a hell yes." He leaned in again but Courtney stopped him one more time.

"What's wrong?" Courtney nudged her head in the direction of the back seat.

"As much as I want you to kiss me, we aren't alone." Duncan had forgotten about the little ones in the back seat. "Besides," she continued "the things I want to do aren't appropriate for children." She winked and the blood drained from Duncan's face. No sooner that she had laughed from his reaction, he had vacated the drivers seat and was unfastening Vanessa and Addison's car seats.

* * *

Courtney had dimmed the lights in the bedroom before Duncan walked in. The anticipation of his arrival made time slow down. He crossed the distance to where Courtney stood by the curtains with her back to him, it was like moving through water; not nearly as quick as he needed.

Duncan rested his hands on her shoulders as she drew the curtain, his face nuzzled in her hair. Courtney exhaled contentedly.

"Just remind me one more time why this isn't a bad idea?" Courtney asked hesitantly. Of course she didn't want him to stop, but her cautious nature had to ask. He kissed the spot just below her ear.

"Because we're in love." Duncan said as if it were the most obvious thing. Her cheeks flushed with the sentiment. Courtney looked over her shoulder at him.

"Unzip me?" He did as he was told while still kissing her neck. Inch by inch the zipper was pulled down with a trail of the warm imprints of Duncan's lips in its wake. Her dress easily fell to the floor. Duncan ran his hands up and down Courtney's sides causing her to shiver.

"Are you cold?" He used the opportunity to wrap his arms around her abdomen and pull her flush against him. He traveled his kisses down to her shoulder where her bra strap lay. Duncan planted one more kiss there before taking the material between his teeth and sliding it down her shoulder.

"You're such a Neanderthal." Courtney teased even though she actually found the action very seductive. Barely into foreplay and her nerves were already on fire from his touch.

"You're a priss." He countered while using one of his hands to unhook her bra. Her breasts delicately toppled out of the cups and her soft skin glowed in the crack of pale moonlight entering between the curtains. Duncan kept his face close to Courtney's, the tips of their noses touching, their lips barely grazing. The closeness was unbearably tense, but each wanted the other to cave first.

"You're still not my type." She scoffed even as she was being undressed. Her bra joined her dress on the bedroom floor.

"You make me sick." The heat between them was palpable as neither of them moved but both hearts raced. This was it. No turning back now. One of Courtney's hands reached behind her to hold the back of Duncan's neck and a moment later their lips fully touched. As the distance closed between them, it was like two strong magnets coming together- it needed a push at first, but once close enough they snapped together. It was worth all the time apart to finally be able to kiss freely again. The feeling was all too familiar, yet thrilling at the same time. Their lips fit together so naturally. When their tongues touched Courtney pushed up her backside against the front of his jeans. He groaned in her mouth. Off of one touch, he already felt blood rushing below his belt. Duncan's moved one hand to take one of her breasts in his hands while the other drew patterns over her panties. Caressing her but not quite where she wanted. His fingers gently grazed between her lips while her most sensitive region ached for attention. Courtney pulled her mouth away from his.

"Touch me." She begged. Duncan cupped her through her underwear, the jolt of pleasure causing Courtney to toss her head back against his shoulder and moan. He kissed her again to muffle to noise.

"Shhhhh." He spoke against her mouth as he continued to rub circles with his fingers. Courtney bit her lip to hold back the noise as much as she could but it was hard when everything was so electrified. She was already soaking through her underwear and he'd barely touched her. It felt so unfair that he could affect her so much and decided give him a taste of his own medicine. She abruptly turned around and began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Eager Princess?" Duncan grinned cockily. Not that he wasn't ready to throw her on the bed already, but he'd still play it cool. Once she got the last button opened, she was already nimbly working on his belt. She slipped it out of its buckle and in one easy pull she had his pants and boxers at his ankles. Duncan was about to make another statement about her impatience but his words caught in his throat at her breath on his cock. His view of Courtney caused his cock to twitch and leak a bead of precum.

"Eager?" She asked the same question in rebuttal, smiling innocently up at him. His eyes locked with hers. No fantasy could compare to the reality of his princess half naked on her knees before him. She started by kissing his pelvis and paying particular attention to a tattoo that he had on his hip bone. She kept running her tongue over the lines of black ink making him shudder any time she got closer to where he increasingly needed her. Her hands rested on his thighs dangerously close to his arousal.

"You're such a fucking tease."

Courtney took a manicured fingertip and ran it down the length of his smooth shaft, without breaking eye contact. She remained poised with half-lidded sultriness and reveled in the fact that he faltered at her touch. His strained expression gave away his want.

Gingerly, she wrapped her hand around him, gave a tiny lick to the tip, and with his eyes still on her, took him into her mouth until he hit the back of her throat. When she pulled back she saw that his head had dropped back and his eyes were closed. In her mouth the skin of his cock was rather delicate, pulsing against her tongue. His length grew and hardened as it hit the back of her throat. She repeated the motion a few times while using her hand in tandem, each time making him groan or curse. His hands knotted in her hair and titled up her face so they could look each other again. Courtney's cool expression was now devious. She changed techniques, sucking and swirling her tongue around the tip then taking him all the way back in again. It was a slow torture.

"Babe..." He groaned and instinctively bucked his hips. "Can I?" He asked desperately, his fingers still woven in her hair. Courtney nodded and braced herself by placing her hands on his hips again. Slowly he began thrusting directly into her mouth, trying his best not to choke her and in awe that she trusted him enough to do this. The visual had him ready to burst let alone how great it felt. She squeezed his waist to distract herself and avoid gagging from how deep he was going. The noises he made couldn't be described by Courtney as anything but masculine. All throaty and low moans. Soon his movements became erratic. Courtney sensed how close he was getting and matched his motions. She looked directly into his eyes to give him a non-verbal permission to cum. She buried him deep in her mouth as he came with his jaw slack while he gripped her shoulders. Dutifully, she swallowed and licked her lips clean with a smile.

Courtney stood up, starting to go to the bathroom to rinse her mouth out. She was surprised when Duncan grabbed her by the forearm and pulled her back to him to kissed her openly.

"I didn't think you'd want to kiss me after." She shyly admitted.

"How could I not want to kiss you Princess? That was so damn hot." He kissed her again to stifle any doubt. They traveled to the bed, leaving a trail of the rest of their clothing. Their mouths continued to meet as they lay on Courtney's bed.

A passionate desperation drove them. It was like being teenagers again. Their hands roamed everywhere at once, aimlessly grappling, as their bodies pressed against each other completely bare for the first time. Every caress and kiss had them eager for more. Duncan especially loved having access to Courtney's chest. He spent an ample amount of time with his mouth attached, sucking on them while massaging, even lightly nipping. Courtney had her back arched off of the mattress, gasping at the attention. He began traveling down her stomach. Courtney made an inpatient noise in the back of her throat.

"Not yet." He wanted to explore her body the way he hadn't been able to the first time. Every curve and dip was a place he could press his mouth to or run his hands over. Suddenly, Courtney sat up when he got to an area of her abdomen that she knew had faint stretch marks from when she was pregnant.

"Duncan-" She objected but he cut her off by kissing the exact spot he knew she was concerned about.

"Don't worry Princess, you're beautiful." He punctuated his sentence with a final kiss to the spot before moving on to her inner thigh. Her head dropped back against the pillows with a contented smile. Courtney could feel her heart pounding in her chest, heavy and audible. It was agony as he inched further down her leg. It fueled her desire for him and by the time he was hovering over her center she was dizzy with arousal. Her hands were already fisted in the covers, it was all she could do to not scream out in exasperation. As much as she loved the slow perusal of her body, she didn't always have the best patience; she was so aroused already, so when the softest brush of lips touched her, she couldn't help but moan long and loudly.

"Shhh." He reached a hand up to cover her mouth to quiet her. "You'll wake the kids."

"Mhmm." Courtney mustered while biting her lips and squeezing her eyes shut. Duncan wore a big grin, proud of the reaction he'd elicited. He could listen to her moan like that forever if they didn't have sleeping children down the hall. He found her so stunning like this; completely naked and vulnerable. Her body was beautifully supple. There was strength in her curves. The thought that she was insecure about any part of herself just made him want to prove to her more how much he wanted her- which he did, so badly.

He used just his lips for a while, kissing her the way he would against her mouth. Then explored with his tongue, drawing and sucking lightly from time to time. He pressed his tongue to her clit, pushing the bundle of nerves until her hips jolted. Duncan draped an arm across her waist to keep her still when she squirmed. Courtney reached down to entangle her fingers with Duncan's and squeezed his hand every time she wanted to scream louder than she was allowed.

The tip of his index finger circled her entrance before easily sliding in all the way. She hummed a closed mouth moan as he drew the appendage back and added a second finger. He continued to pump his fingers in and out while his mouth attended to her clit. He knew she was getting closer when she began moving her hips, and even closer when her breaths quickened and chest heaved.

"C'mon baby, lose control for me." And she did, she orgasmed around his fingers and her body shook with the intensity. He continued his ministrations as she rode out her climax, their fingers still intertwined.

She felt light-headed as the pangs of pleasure slowed and left a throbbing satisfaction in its wake. She warily registered Duncan kissing his way back up here body. His teeth grazed the pulse point at her throat at which she reacted by fisting her hands in his hair and pulling his mouth to hers. They kissed with open mouths that started a fierce hunger that was reminiscent of trying to devour each other, but as time gradually passed everything began to slow down.

This was the moment that they had been building up to. The first time they'd had sex was too impulsive for either of them to think about the consequences, good and bad. Now there was no need to rush, no need to worry about if they didn't act quickly they might change their minds.

Courtney's fingers trailed up and down Duncan's back as her legs wrapped around his waist. His hands were on the sides of her face as they kissed and enjoyed the intimacy of their bodies against each other. Skin against skin.

The sensation was hard not to act on. His rehardended length rubbed against her damp flesh in slow sensual motions. Not entering, just grinding and rocking against her.

He drew his mouth away from hers, pink and swollen from kissing. She whimpered, whether from their lack of lip contact or his cock against her folds he didn't know.

Her eyes were half lidded, hazy with lust and he just had to kiss her again. Not just her mouth, but her forehead, the freckles on the bridge of her nose, her cheeks. Finally as he reached her mouth again he lined himself up with her entrance and slowly slid inside of her until there was no more space left between them. The sound she made was music to his ears.

"I missed you so damn much." He exhaled. Duncan withdrew almost all the way only to sink back into her again at a pace that was so slow it was almost painful. The first time had been so rushed and urgent. Hard and fast. This time was different. It was all elongated thrusts and light touches. Hips meeting each other with leisure precision. Their lips never leaving each other for too long. All the while Courtney's lithe arms around his neck and his palms on her hips. They moaned into each other and their synchrony melded their bodies.

It couldn't go on like this forever though. They started to meet each other more frantically and hastily. He used his grip to pull her hips against his, the sound reflecting the movement. As much as Courtney loved the way he was fucking her, she took the opportunity to take charge when she saw it.

Sometimes Duncan forgot how strong she was, because she flipped them over so that she was on top with little effort. Now he was flat on his back with her straddling him, her hair wild. She loved the way he couldn't take his intense eyes off of her. With her hands on his chest she rolled her hips, biting her own lip at the new friction. Again she moved, this time lifting herself and the sliding back down. His fingers dug into her skin.

Her head rolled back as she rode him, allowing herself to be lost in the motions. Duncan took in the sight of her. The memory of this perfect scene imprinted in his mind. Her tan skin was glistening, the bounce of her breasts catching the light. He sat up to take one in his mouth somewhat registering her intake of air. He couldn't take it anymore when he began thrusting up into her. Their bodies pressed tightly together. Her arms were draped around his neck as her mouth was at his ear, allowing him to hear every hitch of her breath. Suddenly her arms tightened around him and she shook with the peak of a climax. Courtney bit his ear and that was all it took for him to follow her over that edge.

The air was thick when they'd collected themselves enough to kiss lazily. Duncan fell back, taking Courtney with him in his embrace. They stayed that way until she fell asleep on his chest, both of them feeling for the first time in a long time that they were where they belonged.

* * *

Courtney rolled over, instinctively snuggling deeper into the covers. They felt so soft against her bare skin. She sighed happily before her motherly instincts kicked in. No one was jostling her awake, or yelling for her. Usually she woke up before her alarm anyway but when she opened her eyes to glance at the clock on her bedside, to her surprise, it was past nine. Courtney jolted uptight and clutched the covers to her chest, very confused for a moment to why she was naked. Memories of last night flooded back to her.

She patted the spot next to her on the bed where she swore Duncan had fallen asleep only hours earlier. She felt a tightness in her chest at the thought that she had once again been abandoned by him. Courtney forced herself to calm down. It was oddly silent upstairs which was out of the ordinary. She threw on her robe to go investigate.

It only made her more apprehensive that there was no one in Addison's room, or anyone upstairs at all. Paranoia began to get the best of her as she hurried down the stairs but then stopped when she heard giggling and voices coming from the kitchen. She quietly followed the sound and paused in the kitchen entryway.

They were making a huge mess, which usually would have sent her into a frenzy but she couldn't find it in her to mind. There was pancake mix spilled on the counter and the floor, as well as traces on their clothing. The powdery mix also dusted Vanessa's rosy cheeks and Addison's freckled nose. The idea of making pancakes was long forgotten by them as they had started using the powder to draw shapes all over each other. Duncan started following the directions on the back of the box by himself now that his co-chefs were otherwise occupied. Courtney leaned against the doorway, a smile tugging at her lips. Addison was the first to notice her.

"Good morning Mommy! We're making pancakes!"

Duncan looked up at the announcement of her arrival. Their eyes met across the room. Duncan wasn't sure how she wanted to go about telling the girls about them; if she wanted to wait or if she was ready. Courtney walked over to Addison and Vanessa; giving them each a kiss on the top of their heads even as they continued to redefine the term pancake art. She let the tip of her index finger trail across the counter, coating the pad of her fingertip. Duncan was still eyeing her somewhat cautiously.

"We'll clean up, I promise!" He assured her hurriedly. Unexpectedly, Courtney just shrugged and tapped him on the nose with her finger. He crossed his eyes to try and see the pale smudge. It took his focus off of her which allowed him to be caught off guard when she placed both of her hands on the side of his face. For a second he was disoriented and confused until she reached up on her tip toes and kissed him. It was reminiscent of that first kiss on the porch of that wooden cabin where Courtney had let go of her control for the first time. The kiss that had started it all.

There was a small gasp from behind them. Then a high pitched squeal.

"I told you so Addie!" Courtney and Duncan pulled away from each other to turn to the girls.

"Nuh uh! I told you!" Vanessa gave Courtney and Duncan the most incredulous look that a four year old could give.

"It's about time! We're not getting any younger!" She put her hands on her hips to add emphasis. Courtney raised her eyebrows while Duncan snorted. It had taken them long enough, but they had made it all the same.

**Full Circle**

_noun_

After a long series of events or changes, you find yourself back at the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH! I can't believe it's finished! I've never finished a longer story before and this is so satisfying and I'm quite proud. I have so much to say and not enough eloquence with words to express how thankful I am to all of you who read this story. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Whether you commented or not, have been reading since I posted the first chapter or just found this story, I deeply appreciate you following me on this journey. I love you guys so much! I can't say that this will be the last you'll see of this little family, I have so many thoughts as far as their lives after this, but for now, it's complete and I'm happy :)

**Author's Note:**

> Do we stil have to do that thing where we say we don't own anything so we don't get sued?
> 
> I apologize if there are any grammar errors! I'm a bit out of practice when it comes to editing.


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